Posted on 03/22/2016 5:49:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A former slave who ran away to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma and later became the first black U.S. deputy marshal is being honored by the Oklahoma Senate with a painting in his honor that will hang at the Capitol.
The oil painting unveiled on Tuesday depicts Old West hero Bass Reeves on horseback chasing an outlaw through the Arkansas River in modern-day Tulsa, with Turkey Mountain in the background.
(Excerpt) Read more at kfor.com ...
Cool. Wish they had a photo of the painting.
A real life Rooster Cogburn. Born a slave. ran away to Indian territory. Emancipated. Hired by hanging judge Parker because he knew the territory, and indian languages.
Handled himself well, arrested 3000 felons. Shot 14 dead.
His own son was accused of murder and he insisted he would arrest him and went and did it. Son served time.
Damn.
Tough ol’ hombre, there.
Reminds me of Deets from Lonesome Dove.
They ran into some badasses on the trail, and one of them scoffs at Deets, something about you think that n-— boy can do the job?
And Gus or Call, can’t remember which, says, “That MAN will track you across the coals of hell, and bring you back on a pitchfork, if I ask him to.”
Well as long as they were in time for Black History Month. Ooops.
More like the real Lone Ranger. I saw the “Based on true events” after one of those episodes. The stories are based on this guy. The original stories were written down by a reporter that covered some territorial prison at the time. Most of the guys Bass captured were sent there.
I’m guessing the idea of a black Lone Ranger in the early sixties wouldn’t have gone over as well.
Very cool.
Artist Wayne Cooper discusses his painting of Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves.
Nice. Thank you.
In re-reading some articles, it looks like there are others that dispute the idea that Bass Reeves was the basis for “The Lone Ranger”. They could be right. But - the guy SHOULD have had a TV show! Excerpt from the net (although I’m guessing the newspapers at the time were not to worried about lying a bit to make the story better!):
The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal reported, “Reeves was never known to show the slightest excitement, under any circumstance. He does not know what fear is.”
This was never truer than the case where three men he was pursuing managed to get the drop on him and ordered him off his horse. The leader approached, gloating that the “Indomitable Marshal” was about to die.
Showing no fear, Reeves calmly took out his warrants and asked the three men, “What is the date today?”
The puzzled leader asked, “What difference does that make?”
Reeves explained that he’d need to put the date of the arrest on the paperwork when he took the three of them in — dead or alive, their choice.
The three men laughed at the absurdity of the thought, and Marshal Reeves used the distraction to grab the barrel of the leader’s gun. One of the men opened fire, but Reeves drew and shot him dead. He then killed the leader by bashing his skull with his pistol.
The third man wisely submitted to the arrest.
No, no.....somebody got this all wrong. America is racist don’t ya know????? Not going to honor a black man for the hero he was and what’s more, a real, genuine role model for black kids to look up to....s........seriously, this is great and Deputy Marshal Bass deserves it! Just hope he was appreciated while he was alive....
I heard some about this guy on one of those History Channel shows with David Carridine I think.
Bass Reeves is well known to us Western history buffs. One tough hombre!
These guys are really interesting to me.
One of my great aunts was a US deputy marshall in the Tulsa district.
My grandmother knew Bill Tilghman when she was a kid.
I met one of PadenTolbert’s relatives in the 80s. Was shocked that I knew who he was.
He was a Republican, too.
**** “He was a Republican, too” ****
In the Territory Everyone Was, even the Injuns :^)
(I don’t want any Native American Backlash, like I slighted anyone, if you feel slighted go to your Safe Zone or I will pull out my I’m THIS % Cherokee Card, in reality I could do that and my Negro % Card as well)
Well, technically he was hired by Judge Isaac Parker, who was based in Arkansas, and he was one of only a few post-Reconstruction Republicans in the state at the time still holding office (although he had moved down from serving in Congress in Missouri).
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