Bass Reeves was born into slavery, but escaped to “Indian Territory” (modern Kansas and Oklahoma) during the Civil War. Bass learned the languages of the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole tribes, as well as tracking and survival skills. After the Emancipation Proclamation, Bass returned to Arkansas and began farming near the town of Van Buren.
Because of his knowledge of Native American languages, Bass was appointed a Deputy US Marshal, the first black man to serve in that capacity west of the Mississippi River. Bass worked for 32 years as a deputy, bringing in some of the territory’s most dangerous fugitives. He was involved in quite a few gun battles, but Bass was an excellent marksman and was never wounded. When he retired in 1907, he had an estimated 3000 career arrests. He killed 14 outlaws in the line of duty. He even had to arrest his own son for murder. Nevertheless, Bass felt the law was the law. Bass arrested his son and the younger Reeves served 11 years in the prison at Fort Leavenworth.
When Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Bass served as an officer on the Muskogee Police Department. Poor heath forced him to leave the department after just two years. He passed away in January 1910 at the age of 71.