Bass Reeves: The Life and Legacy of the Wild West’s First Black Deputy Marshal

*Includes pictures
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents

“My mom always said she heard that Bass was so tough he could spit on a brick and bust it in two!” – attributed to Willabelle Shultz, granddaughter of Reeves' colleague

Exploration of the early American West, beginning with Lewis and Clark’s transcontinental trek at the behest of President Thomas Jefferson, was not accomplished by standing armies, the era’s new steam train technology, or by way of land grabs. These came later, but not until pathways known only to a few of the land’s indigenous people were discovered, carved out, and charted in an area stretching from the eastern Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and the present-day borders of Mexico and Canada. Even the great survey parties, such as Colonel William Powell’s exploration of the Colorado River, came decades later. The first views of the West’s enormity by white Americans were seen by individuals of an entirely different personality, in an era that could only exist apart from its home civilization.

Explorers, soldiers, and settlers of African-American heritage comprise an unfamiliar story to most students of American history. However, in the push westward, they were present in sufficient enough numbers to exert great influence on the nation’s development. Among the earliest accounts is that of Isabel de Olvera, who settled in New Mexico around the year of 1600, and it is estimated that by 1750, 25% of Albuquerque’s population shared discernible African ancestry. York, the well-known servant of Lewis and Clark, accompanied the legendary expedition under the auspices of the Jefferson administration, and Edward Rose traveled up the Missouri River in the same era. Within just a few years, Pio Pico became the governor of California, and George Bush became one of the first black men to travel the Oregon Trail, opening that route to a flood of settlers over a 10-year period.

In parallel with these individuals came a number of black frontiersmen who participated in the exploration of the Western terrain, said to have numbered in the dozens. Seldom heard but notable names of black figures in the West include trick rodeo rider Jesse Stahl, stunt rider and castle rustler Ned Huddleston, and Bass Reeves, the first black deputy U.S. Marshal. Isom Dart and Willie Bill Pickett also garnered some fame in the era.

Furthermore, given the segregated nature of society, it was all the more shocking that Reeves reached such a position in law enforcement. The region was known for infamous outlaws and gangs, but numerous icons in the form of tin-star bearing, gun-toting lawmen emerged, sworn to round up these anarchic and violent desperadoes and bring them to justice, dead or alive. Some of them are still well known today, such as Wyatt Earp and Sheriff Pat Garrett, a former cowboy, bartender, and customs agent best known for his slaying of Billy the Kid. Bill Tilghman, a prolific peace officer and member of the Three Guardsmen, along with Chris Madsen and Heck Thomas, cemented his place in history when he apprehended the elusive bandit outlaw Bill Doolin, a one-time member of the Dalton Gang and later head of the Wild Bunch. Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas himself was hailed as one of the most accomplished lawmen of the West in his own right, squaring off with and playing a hand in the arrests of dozens of marauders and murderers, including several members of the Sam Bass Gang, as well as Jim and Pink Lee of the notorious Lee Gang. Despite his hulking 6'2” and 200-lb frame, the famously indomitable Bass Reeves was a man of mystery. Although his peerless reputation and near-flawless track record often preceded him, this mountain of a man – both literally and figuratively – had a gift for blending in and creeping up on his targets unnoticed.