Since he was illiterate Reeves often memorized warrants that were read to him by the region: "", cemeteries found in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The rest of the gang disbanded and were never heard from again. Reeves was well aware of the historic precedent, and took his responsibilities seriously. In any case, Reeves went to live among the Creek and Seminole Indians. Bass Reeves marries Texas native Nellie Jennie. Year should not be greater than current year. Bass Reeves, the first black commissioned United States deputy marshal west of the Mississippi River, was born to enslaved parents in July 1838 near Paris, Texas. Bass Reeves was born during the Antebellum Era, a turbulent time period before the American Civil War. He married Nellie Jennie, a woman from Texas, in 1864, and they had 10 children. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Reeves, now free, moved to Van Buren, Led by the 18-year-old Rufus Buck(center), the members of the gang included Maoma July, Lucky Davis, Sam Sampson, and Lewis Davis. There was a problem getting your location. Period: 1865 to 1875. If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. Try again later. This entry belongs to the following Handbook Special Projects: We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. 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. -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. His parents are enslaved by the Arkansas State Legislator William Steele Reeves. He married Nellie Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The leader of the Rufus Buck Gang, a group of black and mixed-race teenage boys who committed horrible crimes against settlers in the Indian Territory that eventually became known as Oklahoma. In the film, he is an outlaw, and another member of Loves gang. and taking on other aliases to assist his apprehension of criminals. And as the criminals became confused and distracted, Reeves would draw his gun. His son was tried, convicted to life in prison, and sent to Kansas Leavenworth Penitentiary. He married a woman named Nellie Jennie, and they must have been really into each other. hbspt.enqueueForm({ 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. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The story of Bass Reeves is sometimes cited as the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. Bass Reeves, was the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River and one of the greatest frontier heroes in our nation's history. George Reeves joins the confederate army. This would have made her birth year 1840 and closer to Bass Reeves' age. Standing six feet, two inches tall, he was often seen riding a large white stallion as he patrolled all 75,000 square miles of Indian Territory. Bass Reeves (1838 - 1910) (shown) was a former slave who became a deputy U.S. 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. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 23: Bass Reeves, also available on Apple and Spotify. Parents. his church minister for selling illegal alcohol. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 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. Nellie Reeves (Jennie) Also Known As: ""Nellie Jennie"" Birthdate: estimated between 1814 and 1874 : Birthplace: Texas, United States: Death: Immediate Family: Wife of . Verify and try again. A year later, he married Nellie Jennie from Texas and immediately began to have a family. Reeves had eleven children from two marriages. While the story told in the Netflix film released today is entirely fictional, many of its characters were historical figures. Cause of death - Peritonitis result of cancer.Note: Name on funeral home receipt, Green Sanders, is Jennie's son-in-law, married to daughter Sallie Reeves Sanders.After cross referencing old Block numbers and current block numbers it is determined that Jennie Reeves is in Block 36. Here, he also honed his firearm skills, becoming very quick and accurate with a pistol and rifle. (Fort Smith Times). Jim Webb, a cowboy and horse thief with eleven notches on his pistol handle, was outshot in a fierce running gunfight after a manhunt that lasted from 1893 to 1895; the dying Webb acknowledged Reeves as the better man by giving the deputy his pistol and scabbard. His great-uncle, Paul L. Brady, was the first black person to be appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. . 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. Reeves also arrested and lawman. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Dependability and devotion to duty were the benchmarks of Reeves's service to the government. He was appointed a U.S. deputy marshal in 1875, and arrested over 3,000 criminals, killing 14 outlaws in the process. The story of "1883" and why the Duttons settled exactly where they did had, for all intents and purposes, ended at a natural stopping place. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. He then quickly disarmed a second and shot a third, only injuring him. In 1902 he arrested his own son, Benny, for murdering his wife (Reeves' daughter-in-law). When Bass Reeves was finally freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, he returned to Arkansas in 1865, married a Texas woman named Nellie Jennie and settled on a farm; they had ten children. S > Sumter | R > Reeves > Winnie (Sumter) Reeves, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. 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. Bass eventually moved to Arkansas where he met his wife Nellie Jennie and raised their ten children. Born a slave in Paris, Texas and owned by George Reeves, (1870 US Census, 1880 US Census). Although Reeves was a skilled frontiersman and spoke several languages, he had never learned to read. . In the film, Beetz portrays Nats on-again, off-again lover, the fearless Stagecoach Mary. [1] Inmate File of Ben Reeves, image 39 (NAID 7861497), Inmate Case Files, 7/3/1895-11/5/1957; Record Group 129: Records of the Bureau of Prisons, 1870-2009; National Archives at Kansas City, [2] Index to the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 3/4/1907, image 579 (NAID 300320), Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, 18991914; Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1826 2009, [3] Inmate Case File of Ben Reeves, image 1-4 (NAID 7861497); Inmate Case Files, 7/3/1895-11/5/1957; RG 129, [5] Oklahoma. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. [online version available through Ancestry.com]. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. There he associated with Native Americans from the Creek and Seminole tribes, learning their language and customs. There is where Bass met his first wife, Nellie Jennie from Texas. Another outlaw was Tom Story, expert horse thief and murderer, who sold stolen horses south of the Red River from 1884 to 1889, and who lost his life at the Delaware Bend crossing in an attempt to beat Reeves to the draw. The lengthy and glowing obituary for this universally respected man described him as absolutely fearless and knowing no master but duty., Over the 35 years that Bass Reeves served as a Deputy United States Marshal, he earned his place in history by being one of the most effective lawmen in Indian Territory, bringing in more than 3,000 outlaws and helping to tame the lawless territory. While there is not a large amount of information on Wiley Escoe in circulation, he was known as a lawman, and a Black deputy U.S. A bridge in Oklahoma has been named after him. Oops, something didn't work. He always bore a very good reputation and I never know of him doing anything wrong until he got into the trouble which caused his commitment to the penitentiary. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. as one of the most successful lawmen in the Indian Territory. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147727516/jane-reeves. In 1895, she earned a contract from the postal service as a route carrier. Ben grew into a tall, lean man with slate blue eyes. That man's son, Colonel George R. Reeves, took Bass with him when he joined the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Bass was 62, he was an imposing figure; always riding on a large white stallion. Reeves, though reluctant to take on the difficult task, did the job when no other deputy dared to. Stagecoach Mary is his on-again, off-again lover, and assists him in his journey for revenge. When the He married Nellie Jennie (or Jinney), a Texas native, in 1864, and they raised a family of ten, five boys and five girls. Bass became a farmer in Arkansas. A year later, he married Nellie Jennie of Texas. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Bass Reeves, 1838 - 1910. It also may have been an inspiration for the film Django Unchained. In 1893, he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas, and in 1897, to serve at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Indigenous territory. On November 13, 1914, Ben Reeves life sentence was commuted and he was released three days later. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reeves-bass. Before going on a pursuit, he would have someone read him the warrants so he could memorize which was which. The second outlaw dropped his gun in surprise, and they were both arrested. He then became a city police officer in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Google Books. Reeves died of Bright's disease in 1910. Unavailable. west of the Mississippi River. of Oklahoma assumed policing duties over the Indian Territory. 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 is named for his grandfather, Bass Washington. He became a barber and on November 20, 1900, married Castella Brown. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. In 1864 he married Nellie Jennie (d. 1896) and after her death Winnie Sumter (1900-1910). point during the Civil War he gained his freedom. ", 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In 1909 his health failed, and he died on January 12, 1910, of Bright's disease. He met and married his first wife Nellie Jennie from Texas with whom he had 10 children (5 boys and 5 girls). He quickly gained a reputation as a tough and fearless lawman who managed to bring in outlaws thought to be invincible. accessed March 02, 2023, Just one grandparent can lead you to many Despite his many disguises and calling cards, Reeves always treated his position with great respect. Desperate bands of deserters turn to banditry to survive in isolated parts of Arkansas. Try again later. She was a Creek Freedwoman and a full member of the Creek Nation. Offers may be subject to change without notice. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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. Marshal and order him to hire 200 deputies. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He was one inspiration to the character Will Reeves (played by Jamal Akakpo) in the HBO series "Watchmen," one of the main characters in"The Harder They Fall" played by Delroy Lindo,and he is believed to be the inspiration for "The Lone Ranger." GREAT NEWS! 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. During the two years that he served in this capacity, there were reportedly no crimes on his beat. Bass Reeves is born in Crawford County, AR. The rest of the gang disbanded and were never heard from again. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. He married Nellie Jennie (or Jenney), a Texan, and the couple had 10 children, five boys and five girls. Nellie Reeves (born Jennie), 1840 - 1896. Freeman said that he has always wanted to do his own Western as long as its about Reeves. It includes the descendants of these slaves. 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. The state of Oklahoma at the time was two different territories: Oklahoma Territory and 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. However, in recent years, Reeves story has started to get more attention. Sally Reeves 1864 - Unknown. He would appear to felons as a cowboy, farmer, or even as a fellow outlaw. Marshal, Reeves had seen bullets fly through his clothing and hat, but was never injured by an outlaw. She enjoys the strange and unusual, and green tea. By 1907, law enforcement was put in the hands of state agencies. Her job was to protect the mail from thieves and deliver the mail, regardless of weather conditions. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. Family members linked to this person will appear here. and arrested his own son after a two week manhunt. Marshal and authorized After being freed in 1863, he married a woman named Nellie Jennie and . ). All deputies were tasked with cleaning up Indian Territory and on Judge Parkers orders, Bring them in alive or dead!. As the story goes, Reeves beat up his master after a dispute over cards and then fled to avoid punishment. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Mary retired in 1904 and died 11 years later at the age of 82. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The couple ultimately raised five girls and five boys together. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He married Nellie Jennie, a Texan, and fathered ten children, five boys and five girls. Meet Bass Reeves, The Legendary Black Deputy Who Patrolled The Wild West. 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