He was known for his politeness and courteous manner. He registered for the draft on September 12, 1918 at the age of 39 as was required by law. Reeves used the fact that hed never learned how to read or write to his advantage in an inventive and effective way. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. They had 11 children: William Reeves, Edgar Reeves, Lulu Reeves, Sally Reeves, Robert Reeves, Harriet Reeves, George Reeves, Alice Mae Reeves, Newland Reeves, Benjamin Bennie . He became a barber and on November 20, 1900, married Castella Brown. At the age of sixty-nine Reeves accepted a job as patrolman with the Muskogee city police department, and from 1907 to 1909 there was reportedly never a crime committed on his beat. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. and Seminoles. And when he wasnt in disguise, he was recognized by the silver dollars he left as his calling card. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bass married Nellie Jinny Reeves (born Wilson) in 1864, at age 26. Indian Territory was where the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and Chickasaw tribes who were forcibly removed from their homes were resettled following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. And perhaps most exciting, he was portrayed in the HBO series Watchmen in 2019. Even in the face of morally conflicting circumstances, Reeves held the law above all else. Bill Pickett is portrayed by Edi Gathegi. and taking on other aliases to assist his apprehension of criminals. One account recalls how Bass Reeves When the outlaws were momentarily distracted by the piece of paper they were handed, Reeves drew his gun and turned the situation around. Bass sometimes served as a scout and guide for U.S. Deputy Marshals going into Indian Territory on business for the Van Buren Federal Court, which had jurisdiction over Indian Territory. He tracked down Reeves stands trial for the cooks murder before Judge Parker and is represented by his friend and colleague, former US Attorney W.H.H. Bass Reeves, Jr 1887-1901 *Added July 12, 2017* While Jane or Jennie Reeves was reportedly born in 1850 in the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census, the deponent (a family member) of her burial record stated that she was 56 years old at the time of her death. Ben "Bennie" Reeves was born around 1882 to Bass Reeves and Nellie Jennie in Texas. Try again. Though shaken by the thought of it, Reeves soon arrested his own son. When Bass charges into the desert . Daniel J. Littlefield, Jr., and Lonnie E. Underhill, Negro Marshal in the Indian The quicker of the two, Reeves shoots first, killing his quarry in self-defense. (However, others say Reeves simply heard that slaves were being freed and decided to run in order to free himself.). Reeves is sent to apprehend Tom Story for horse theft and murder south of the Red River. Born about 1850 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown] [sibling (s) unknown] Wife of Bass Reeves married 1900 in Muskogee,Oklahoma,United States [children unknown] Died [date unknown] in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States Profile manager: Terry Wright [ send private message ] His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Born Mary Fields in about 1832, Black Mary, as she was sometimes referred to, was a slave at birth. In the Netflix film, Lindo plays Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. Winnie married Deputy U.S. (Lincoln NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2006); Kathy Weiser, Legends of America, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-BassReeves.html, 1010 Campus DriveBig Rapids, MI 49307[emailprotected](231) 591-5873, 1201 S. State Street, Big Rapids, Michigan USA 49307, Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships, Card/Riley Conservation and Wildlife Education Center, Latino Business & Economic Development Center, Below is an article about Reeves from Matt Helm first published in blackpast.org, Legends of America, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-BassReeves.html. and killed fourteen outlaws during his years as a marshal, garnering a reputation Learn more about managing a memorial . Like the many outlaws he had arrested, he was tried before Judge Isaac Parker. Although details are unclear, it is believed that during an argument over game of cards, Bass struck George. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. There have also been quite a few impressive bronze statues that were erected in his likeness. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Accessed on July 7, 2021. The 13th Amendment is proclaimed, abolishing slavery in the United States. Nellie married Bass Reeves in 1864, at age 24 in Arkansas, United States. Make sure that the file is a photo. of his wife, was tried and convicted but later given a full pardon. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Raising 10 children on their homestead five girls and five boys, the family lived happily on the farm. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). However, in recent years, Reeves story has started to get more attention. Born a slave in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, Bass Reeves served Arkansas state legislator William S. Reeves. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? In the course of doing so, Reeves was involved in his fair share of shootouts. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. P640, [6] Inmate File of Ben Reeves, image 7 (NAID 7861497); Inmate Case Files, 7/3/1895-11/5/1957; RG 129, [7] Registration Card for Bennie Bass Reeves; World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. During the Civil War he fled to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, where he took refuge with the Seminole, Cherokee, and Creek Indians, learning their customs, languages, and tracking skills. Nellie Reeves, the wife of Bass Reeves, dies of tuberculosis. Often they rode to such places as Fort Reno, Fort Sill and Anadarko, a round trip of more than 800 miles. Nellie Jennie married Bass Reeves and had 11 children. After reading about Bass Reeves, take a look at 9 iconic Black soldiers who risked it all to fight for America. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. As a part of the films rendition of the Rufus Buck Gang that breaks their leader from prison, Bill is as sly as he is ruthless. Reeves was recruited to work as a deputy U.S. marshal in the Indian Territory. He had a settlement of 75,000 square miles in what is now Oklahoma and Arkansas and killed 14 outlaws as part of the over 3,000 he took in. This is a carousel with slides. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. Try again later. He waited along the route that the gang was known to have used and surprised Tom Story with an arrest warrant. The court unanimously decided that there was no evidence Reeves murdered his wife with the intent of taking her land, therefore he was still entitled to it. He married Castella Brown on 20 November 1900, in Muskogee, Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States. and his owner had an altercation over a card game. The real Bass Reeves was born in July of 1838, died in January 1910, and was the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshall that lived west of the Mississippi River. . He quickly gained a reputation as a tough and fearless lawman who managed to bring in outlaws thought to be invincible. Bass Reeves died on January 10, 1910 in Muskogee, Failed to delete memorial. In 1902 he arrested his own son, Benny, for murdering his wife (Reeves' daughter-in-law). Bass married Winnie Jane FOREMAN Sumner on month day 1900, at age 62 at marriage place . , , Linea del tiempo-GENERACIONES DE LAS COMPUTADORAS, See more Science and Technology timelines, http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_ar.html, http://newsok.com/feed/statue-of-u.s.-marshal-to-travel-from-oklahoma-to-arkansas-wednesday/article/3675994?custom_click=pod_headline_news, https://fortsmith.org/bass-reeves-monument. The Ft. Leavenworth Warden himself wrote to the Honorable Leo Bennett, U.S. Marshall for the Indian Territory, Western District, of Muskogee, OK on April 24, 1909, requesting permission to appoint Reeves as a trustee. In her early years, she worked as groundskeeper at the Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart in Toledo, Ohio. Because of his knowledge of the area and fluency in the Creek and Seminole languages, After having delivered two prisoners to U.S. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Ben Reeves remained in Okmulgee and later married Fleccia Cromartie of Iowa. As such, he was authorized to arrest both black and white lawbreakers. Children. After five years in flight from the law, Tom Story attempts to shoot Reeves. Although Bass Reeves accomplishments as a lawman greatly overshadow those of many of his more famous white contemporaries, the legend of Bass Reeves was, for the most part, lost to history. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Every penny counts! Roll M1509. Reeves severely beat his owner And many people whom he arrested were sent to the House of Corrections in Detroit, which was the same city where The Lone Ranger was first introduced via radio in 1933. The film tells the story of Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), an outlaw hell bent on avenging the death of his parents, who were murdered in cold blood by Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). Parker hired U.S. Parker, in turn, appointed a U.S. Covering some 75,000 square miles, the United States Court at Fort Smith, was the largest in the nation. Reeves was recruited because he knew the tribal languages and country well, and as a black he did not suffer from the reputation for abuse produced by the activities of the White criminal element among the Indians. After his first wife's death, Reeves married Winnie Sumter of Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1900 and started a second family. The multitalented LaKeith Stanfield plays the infamous Cherokee Bill in the film. After spending time in Denver as a Pullman porter, he and his family settled in southern California.In 1907, Love published his autobiography, Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as Deadwood Dick, by Himself, which added to his legacy as a cowboy. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. There is where Bass met his first wife, Nellie Jennie from Texas. Reeves was well aware of the historic precedent, and took his responsibilities seriously. Also starring ESSENCE digital cover star Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi, RJ Cyler, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, Daniel Deadwyler and Deon Cole, The Harder They Fall premieres on Netflix on November 3. Bass Reeves's legendary career as a U.S. marshal ended in 1907 when the new state of Oklahoma assumed policing duties over the Indian Territory. In 1893, he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas, and in 1897, to serve at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Indigenous territory. Resend Activation Email. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. Then, learn about the Buffalo Soldiers, the first all-Black peacetime regiments in U.S. history. 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