Born into slavery in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, Bass Reeves would become the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River and one of the greatest frontier heroes in American history.

He was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington, but like other slaves of the time, he took the surname of his owner, a farmer and politician named William Reeves.

George Reeves, William's son, eventually made Bass his valet, bodyguard, and personal companion. When the Civil War broke out, George went into battle for the Confederacy, taking Bass with him.

One account recalls how Bass Reeves and George Reeves had an altercation over a card game. Bass severely beat his enslaver, and fled to the Indian Territory where he lived among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles. Bass stayed with these Native tribes and learned their languages until he was freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1865.

Reeves was reportedly ambidextrous--an ability he proved time and time again by holstering Colt .45 Peacemaker pistols on both sides, butt forward for a fast draw. By all accounts, he drew quickly and never missed his mark.

Over his 32-year career as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, Reeves arrested 3,000 felons, including some of the most dangerous criminals of the time. He killed 14 men in self-defense, but was never wounded himself despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions.

In 1902, Reeves' son, Bennie, murdered his own wife after catching her with another man, then fled into the Indian Territory. The murder warrant issued for Bennie sat on U.S. Marshal Leo Bennett's desk for several days. No one wanted to arrest the son of the great Bass Reeves. So Bass took the warrant himself. He tracked down his own son and arrested him. Shortly thereafter, Bennie was convicted and sent to Leavenworth.

In 1883, Reeves arrested Belle and Sam Starr. The outlaw couple was charged with horse theft and tried before "The Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Belle was found guilty and served nine months at the Detroit House of Corrections in Detroit, Michigan. She proved to be a model prisoner and won the respect of the prison matron. In contrast, Sam was incorrigible and assigned to hard labor.

Bass was himself charged with murder early in his career. After getting into an argument with a cook in his posse, Bass tried to remove a cartridge from his Winchester rifle, but the rifle went off, and the bullet struck the cook in the neck. Bass was suspended from duty and forced to sell his house. Like the many outlaws he had arrested, he was tried before Judge Isaac Parker. He was represented by United States Attorney W.H.H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. In the end, Reeves was acquitted and reinstated as deputy marshal.

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, was hired as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma. During the two years that he served in this capacity, patrolling the city with a cane for mobility, there was reportedly not a single crime on his beat.