Period: 1865 to 1875. 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. The Pacific Reporter, Volume, 95. Handbook of Texas Online, Bass Reeves was born a slave in Arkansas in 1838. Resend Activation Email. Among them were Bob Dozier, a master criminal whose illegal activities included cattle and horse theft, land swindles, and murder, and who eluded Reeves for several years before being killed after refusing to surrender in the rain and mud in the Cherokee Hills. Bass Reeves was born to enslaved people in Arkansas, and the person who likely enslaved his family was William Reeves. He died on January 12, 1910, and he was buried in the Union Agency Cemetery at Muskogee, Oklahoma, but the exact location of his grave is unknown. This is a carousel with slides. Paid in fees and rewards, he would make a handsome profit, before spending a little time with his family, and returning to the range once again. Bass Reeves gained his freedom (the details of this are unclear), but he then lived among Indigenous tribes including the Cherokee, Creeks, and Seminoles, learning their language, and returning to Arkansas after the Thirteenth Amendment was passed in 1865. Harriet Reeves 1868 - Unknown. Try again later. Ben kept in close contact with his sisters and their stepmother, but his relationship with his father appears to have been strained. The son, wanted for the murder of his wife, was tried and convicted but later given a full pardon. Search above to list available cemeteries. Later Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. Leaving Fort Smith, often with a pocketful of warrants, Bass would return months later herding a number of outlaws charged with crimes ranging from bootlegging to murder. He cut an imposing figure as he patrolled the 75,000 square miles of Indian Territory. So he decided to leave Indian Territory to farm his own land near Van Buren, Arkansas. In 1992 Reeves was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Center. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. As distasteful as the task was, Reeves brought him back, and Benny served twenty years at Leavenworth.. Oklahoma became a state in 1907, and Reeves' commission as marshal ended. Bass Reeves, is the first African-American to be deputized by the U.S. She was the second womanand first African American womanto have that occupation. The New York Public LibraryAn illustration of a shootout in the Wild West. Freedmen[2]is a term given to emancipated slaves and their descendants after slavery was abolished in the United States following the American Civil War. Reeves died of Bright's disease in 1910. Reeves and his family farmed in Van Buren until 1875. Actor and comedian Deon Cole portrays Wiley Escoe, the gold-toothed mayor of Redwood. 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. That man's son, Colonel George R. Reeves, took Bass with him when he joined the Confederate Army in the Civil War. In 1875, Isaac C. Parker was appointed federal judge of Indian Territory. 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. Born a slave in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, Bass Reeves served Arkansas state legislator William S. Reeves. If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. While Reeves was a successful farmer, rancher, and father, he occasionally worked as a scout and used his tracking skills to help lawmen find criminals but his true second act had yet to begin. Marshal service. The quicker of the two, Reeves shoots first, killing his quarry in self-defense. Freeman said, This is a Black man in Americas legendary Western history who has been totally overlooked. 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. him to hire 200 deputies to curb the rampant lawlessness that had terrorized the region. Refining his skills as an outdoorsman, Bass became an expert sharpshooter. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. One of his first acts was to make James Fagan a U.S. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Nellie Reeves (Jennie) Also Known As: ""Nellie Jennie"" Birthdate: estimated between 1814 and 1874 : Birthplace: Texas, United States: Death: Immediate Family: Wife of . accessed March 02, 2023, The 13th Amendment is proclaimed, abolishing slavery in the United States. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Please try again later. The land comprising Indian Territory becomes the state of Oklahoma. Jennie, a Texan, and fathered ten children, five boys and five girls. Linea del tiempo de la filosofa antigua. He married Nellie Jennie (or Jenney), a Texan, and the couple had 10 children, five boys and five girls. He registered for the draft on September 12, 1918 at the age of 39 as was required by law. is based on Bass Reeves. After reading about Bass Reeves, take a look at 9 iconic Black soldiers who risked it all to fight for America. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Reeves is almost killed while pursuing four men along the Seminole Whiskey Trail. His memoir. 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. It is not known the exact location of Jennie's grave, the listing from the cemetery log with her name as unknown location in this block. with him. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Born a slave in Paris, Texas and owned by George Reeves, Try again later. Territory,Journal of Negro History 56 (April 1971); Nudie E. Williams, Bass Reeves, Negro History Bulletin 42 (April-May-June 1979); Art T. Burton Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves. Reeves was recruited to work as a deputy U.S. marshal in the Indian Territory. While Reeves was a successful farmer, rancher, and father, he occasionally worked as a scout and used his tracking skills to help lawmen find criminals but his true second act had yet to begin. She was a Creek Freedwoman and a full member of the Creek Nation. The 2010 straight-to-video movie Bass Reeves is a fictionalized account of the lawman's life. In 1887, Bass was charged with murdering a posse cook. Wikimedia CommonsBass Reeves was born during the Antebellum Era, a turbulent time period before the American Civil War. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. One of the high points of Reeves career was apprehending a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier. There have also been quite a few impressive bronze statues that were erected in his likeness. -1863 The Emancipation Proclamation is issued by President Abraham Lincoln; Bass Reeves, still living in confederate territory, is now legally a free man and no longer must live as a fugitive. your viewers to Bass Reeves, the lawman. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and no longer a fugitive, the six-foot-two, 190-pound former slave left the Indian country, bought land near Van Buren, Arkansas, and became a successful stockman and farmer. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. 1901 - Reeves's Arrests Make the Press . Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. When the Civil War broke out, William Reeves' son George was made a colonel in the Confederate army and took Bass to war with him. Bill was said to have killed up to eight men before being hanged in 1896. The Lone Ranger, Tonto, and his silver stallion from the 1950s TV series, 9 iconic Black soldiers who risked it all to fight for America. Little is known of their early relationship but in less than two years, it ended in her murder and his incarceration at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He arrested over 3,000 . There is a problem with your email/password. was Bob Dozier, a murderer and cattle and horse thief who eluded Reeves for several Fagan knew of Reeves and his ability to negotiate Indian Territory and speak the languages, so Reeves was named the first black Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. Nevertheless, Reeves was a real, well known deputy marshal point during the Civil War he gained his freedom. Records relating to Bass Reeves and his family: Inmate Case Files from Leavenworth Penitentiary (. His great-uncle, Paul L. Brady, was the first black person to be appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. . The couple ultimately raised five girls and five boys together. and there is an ongoing debate as to whether or not the inspiration for the Lone Ranger [online version available through Ancestry.com]. Have you taken a DNA test? Her job was to protect the mail from thieves and deliver the mail, regardless of weather conditions. west of the Mississippi River. The rest of the gang disbanded and were never heard from again. Bass Reeves was born on the 16th of July 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, and named after his grandfather Bass Washington. In 1875, Hanging Judge Isaac C. Parker was made the federal judge of Indian Territory. Although Reeves was a skilled frontiersman and spoke several languages, he had never learned to read. As the story goes, Reeves arrested more than 3,000 outlaws and killed 14 criminals without ever sustaining a gunshot wound. Bass Reeves was born in 1838, at birth place, Arkansas. The stories of Reeves familiarity with the land and his own fugitive past eventually got around to Fagan. Bass Reeves died on January 10, 1910 in Muskogee, Lula Reeves 1881 - 1899. He learned their languages and became familiar with the landscape during this time. Netflixs highly anticipated The Harder They Fall puts a new twist on the old West. Roll M1509. The multitalented LaKeith Stanfield plays the infamous Cherokee Bill in the film. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. hbspt.enqueueForm({ Benny had fled to the badlands after the crime, and no other marshal was willing to pursue him. The Life Summary of Benjamin When Benjamin Reeves was born in June 1880, in Arkansas, United States, his father, Bass Reeves, was 41 and his mother, Nellie Jennie, was 30. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. He married Nellie Jennie, built an eight-room house with his bare hands, and raised ten childrenfive girls and five boys. His record of 3,000 arrests dwarfs the arrest records of better known Old West lawmen such as Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Wild Bill Hickok. Marshal. He arrested over 3,000 criminals and was never wounded while doing so. For the next thirty-two years Bass Reeves brought to justice over 3,000 criminals Even in the face of morally conflicting circumstances, Reeves held the law above all else. After five years in flight from the law, Tom Story attempts to shoot Reeves. Supreme Court. 33 Facts That Capture The Strange And Salacious Life Of Benjamin Franklin, Two Siblings Just Pleaded Guilty To This 1993 Cold Case Murder After Their Accomplice Confessed On TV, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 23: Bass Reeves, also available on. 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. He is named for his grandfather, Bass Washington. region: "", Though shaken by the thought of it, Reeves soon arrested his own son. The state of Oklahoma at the time was two different territories: Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The following work is the result of the memorial creator Jane Jamell-Hinkle's research:Funeral Home Record from Birnie Brothers Funeral Home. There was a problem getting your location. And when he wasnt in disguise, he was recognized by the silver dollars he left as his calling card. *Additional information from Misty Dawn*childrenSally Reeves 1864-Robert Reeves 1866-Harriet Reeves 1868-George Reeves 1870-Alis Reeves 1872-Newland Reeves 1873-Edgar Reeves 1876-Lula Reeves 1878-Homer Reeves 1882-1903Bass Reeves, Jr 1887-1901*Added July 12, 2017*, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. His mother died in 1896 due to consumption (tuberculosis) leaving his father widowed with eleven children to care for. 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). 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