Vonte3000
Chance 3 :wow: :blessed:
Learned about him watching Hidden Colors 3
Bass Reeves was one of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River. Born into slavery in 1838, he escaped from his owner during the Civil War and found refuge in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma.) The Native Americans often took in African Americans, because they considered them to be as mistreated by whites as the Natives themselves. While he lived in Indian Territory, Reeves learned the land, tracking skills, Indian languages, and other knowledge and skills that served him well as a Deputy U.S. Marshal.
Growing up a slave, Reeves never learned to read and write, but that did not affect his ability to bring in outlaws. He had an extraordinary ability to memorize long lists of criminals and their crimes and always brought back the right man-or woman, as the case may be. Because he was physically imposing at 6’2, 180 lbs, many outlaws chose to give up rather than pick a fight of any kind with him. Reeves reportedly arrested more than 3,000 people during his 32 year career as a Deputy Marshal- men and women, whites, blacks, and Native Americans. His most difficult arrest was of his own son, Bennie, in 1902, who was arrested for the murder of his wife when he found out she had an affair. Bennie was tried and sentenced to life in prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, but was released after ten years for good behavior.
One of the high points of Reeves’ career was apprehending a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier. Dozier was known as a jack-of-all-trades when it came to committing crimes, as they covered a wide range from cattle and horse rustling, to holding up banks, stores, and stagecoaches; to murder, and land swindles. Because Dozier was unpredictable, he was also hard to catch and though many lawmen had tried to apprehend the outlaw, none were successful until it came to Reeves. Dozier eluded Reeves for several years until the lawman tracked him down in the Cherokee Hills. After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in an accompanying gunfight on December 20, 1878.
This is where the shyt really turns Hollywood movie like, dude had to hunt down his own damn son
Though the tales of Reeves’ heroics are many and varied, the toughest manhunt for the lawman was that of hunting down his own son. After having delivered two prisoners to U.S. Marshal Leo Bennett in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he arrived to bad news. His own son had been charged with the murder of his wife. Though the warrant had been lying on Bennett’s desk for two days, the other deputies were reluctant to take it and though Reeves was shaken, he demanded to accept the responsibility for finding his son. Two weeks later, Reeves returned to Muskogee with his son in tow and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. His son was tried and sent to Kansas’ Leavenworth Prison. However, sometime later, with a citizen’s petition and an exemplary prison record, his son was pardoned and lived the rest of his life as a model citizen.
This has big budget movie written all over it, this guy and Nat Turner together though
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Bass Reeves was one of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River. Born into slavery in 1838, he escaped from his owner during the Civil War and found refuge in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma.) The Native Americans often took in African Americans, because they considered them to be as mistreated by whites as the Natives themselves. While he lived in Indian Territory, Reeves learned the land, tracking skills, Indian languages, and other knowledge and skills that served him well as a Deputy U.S. Marshal.
Growing up a slave, Reeves never learned to read and write, but that did not affect his ability to bring in outlaws. He had an extraordinary ability to memorize long lists of criminals and their crimes and always brought back the right man-or woman, as the case may be. Because he was physically imposing at 6’2, 180 lbs, many outlaws chose to give up rather than pick a fight of any kind with him. Reeves reportedly arrested more than 3,000 people during his 32 year career as a Deputy Marshal- men and women, whites, blacks, and Native Americans. His most difficult arrest was of his own son, Bennie, in 1902, who was arrested for the murder of his wife when he found out she had an affair. Bennie was tried and sentenced to life in prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, but was released after ten years for good behavior.
One of the high points of Reeves’ career was apprehending a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier. Dozier was known as a jack-of-all-trades when it came to committing crimes, as they covered a wide range from cattle and horse rustling, to holding up banks, stores, and stagecoaches; to murder, and land swindles. Because Dozier was unpredictable, he was also hard to catch and though many lawmen had tried to apprehend the outlaw, none were successful until it came to Reeves. Dozier eluded Reeves for several years until the lawman tracked him down in the Cherokee Hills. After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in an accompanying gunfight on December 20, 1878.
This is where the shyt really turns Hollywood movie like, dude had to hunt down his own damn son
Though the tales of Reeves’ heroics are many and varied, the toughest manhunt for the lawman was that of hunting down his own son. After having delivered two prisoners to U.S. Marshal Leo Bennett in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he arrived to bad news. His own son had been charged with the murder of his wife. Though the warrant had been lying on Bennett’s desk for two days, the other deputies were reluctant to take it and though Reeves was shaken, he demanded to accept the responsibility for finding his son. Two weeks later, Reeves returned to Muskogee with his son in tow and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. His son was tried and sent to Kansas’ Leavenworth Prison. However, sometime later, with a citizen’s petition and an exemplary prison record, his son was pardoned and lived the rest of his life as a model citizen.
This has big budget movie written all over it, this guy and Nat Turner together though
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A Black man in a authoritative role without a white savior? I like. He needs a movie.
