10 Legendary Details Surrounding Bass Reeves, The Black Deputy Who Kept Watch Over The Wild West

6 /10 An Imposing Deputy

Standing at 6’2″ and weighing 180 pounds, Deputy Marshal Reeves was taller than most men in the era.

He rode like a big red stallion and carried two Colt revolvers on his belt. A Winchester rifle was in a sheath right by his side.

A clean-shaven face was underneath the black hat, save for the bristly mustache as thick as chimney brush.

On the left side of his vest, just above the heart, was a silver star with “United States Marshal” carved on it. His stature, the Colts, the Winchester, and the badge gave him no reason to quail.

5 /10 Excellent Marksman

The revolvers and rifle were not just for show either. Newspapers spread the word that Deputy Reeves had killed 14 outlaws throughout his career.

His works and reputation as a peace officer made frequent stories in territorial newspapers.

In November 1909, the Muskogee Times-Democrat wrote that in the early days when the Indian Territory was overridden with outlaws, Deputy Reeves would often single-handedly capture bands of men from petty criminals to seasoned murderers.

The deputy was paid thousands of dollars in a single trip to search and arrest a fugitive for his service.

4 /10 Historical Deputy

Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves died on January 12, 1910. By the time of his passing, he had already carved his name into the history of Eastern Oklahoma.

On the day after he died, the Muskogee Phoenix newspaper reminded everyone of his role in keeping the peace in the Territory.

The name Bass Reeves belonged among front ranks who took part in the battle against outlaws in the old Indian Territory.

No story about law enforcement in the region would ever be complete without any mention of the name.

3 /10 The Hunt For Jim Webb

Among the most famous tales of Bass Reeves was his hunt for Jim Webb, a fugitive of the law wanted for the murder of 11 people.

In 1883, the deputy already had apprehended the culprit in the Chickasaw Nation. Webb was jailed, awaiting trial for killing a reverend named William Steward.

He posted bail then failed to appear in court as scheduled, so Deputy Reeves was again tasked to execute the arrest warrant. Long story short, Webb surrendered in 1884 after a shootout.

Webb’s dying wish was for Deputy Reeves to shoot him using his gun.

2 /10 Arresting His Own Son

Some exaggerations of his story most likely came long after his death.

For example, some criminals chose to turn themselves in when they heard Deputy Reeves was assigned to execute their arrest warrants or that the deputy hunted them in nightmares.

But the story was not always pretty. Among all the outlaws he arrested, his son Benjamin Reeves, charged with killing his wife.

Other deputies could have taken the responsibility, but he insisted on taking on the assignment himself. The son was eventually convicted.

1 /10 American Folk Hero

For much of the last century, the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s legend has been almost forgotten, if not for the people of Muskogee, Oklahoma, who held the Bass Reeves Western History Conference each year.

Thankfully, his tales have been retold (although in many different versions) in popular media, for example, in the HBO series Watchmen and possibly Django Unchained.

More people than ever have now started to believe that Bass Reeves was the real Lone Ranger too. Nobody alive knows where the deputy was buried, but certainly, there are plenty of other ways to honor his legacy.