Bass Reeves: Real Lawman

Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838. During the Civil War he fled into Indian Territory, where he learned the land and several Native languages. After emancipation, he became one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi.

He was a master of disguise, sometimes posing as a drifter or a farmhand to walk right up to the men he was hunting.

Over thirty-two years on the job, Reeves arrested more than 3,000 outlaws and was never once wounded. He brought in his own son when the law demanded it, refusing to make an exception for family.

A Black lawman, a white horse, a silver disguise, a reputation no criminal could escape. Many historians believe Reeves was a real-life inspiration for the Lone Ranger.