Because the truth is always better then pulp fiction...
Moving out West gives you a different perspective on, well, a different perspective...You really learn what a Manly man is. When the western movie "django unchained" came out, i thought there has to be something better then this, something that ISNT a viewpoint from a certain someone from a different era, different background, different life, who is known for their controversial filming love of portraying hate & violence; making up a character to represent in what their mind was an "interesting" representation of African Americans out west in the 1800's...
Because as WE ALL know, the real truth is better!
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| photo - University of Oklahoma libraries |
I introduce to you a real American Hero, a U.S. Deputy Federal Marshal veteran of 32 YEARS,
who in his career had over 3000 felony arrests out west
- only once did he miss an arrest & NOT once did he serve a subpeona to the wrong person-
a devoted husband to his wife Nellie Jennie & father to their 10 children,
and was one of the best to be inducted into the NATIONAL Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1992.
U.S. Deputy Federal Marshal Bass Reeves
1838-1910
Bass Reeves was hired on by U.S. Judge Isaac C. Parker in 1875, who at that time presided over the largest (74,000 miles) Federal court district in U.S. HISTORY. Judge Parker looked beyond prejudices and deemed Bass Reeves of being more then capable of being a U.S. Deputy Federal Marshal; they had a mutual respected professional relationship and a personal friendship that lasted a lifetime. Reeves was known to be an honest, trustworthy man of his word - he was respected by most if not all nations in the territories and including others of all color, class and ethnicity who were headed out west. In his noble way, by gaining the trust of those who met him, he could use his life taught detective skills to find who he needed to find, and use those honed skills in such a way that those around him would not be in immediate danger, but protected. He used the most important tool he had - his brilliant mind.
Reeves was known as being equal in treatment of all - once he even arrested and brought in his own son who murdered his wife in a fit of anger - when no other marshals wanted to bring his grown child in. But then there were even more tight spots he would find himself in; Reeves was also known as being an excellent marksman to the point where if outlaws knew he was looking for them, they were considered a dead man unless they turned in...
However he did have a personal rule - that you never shoot a man unless they were trying to kill you. His method of the "cross-handed draw" gave him deadly accuracy - out of the 14 attempts on his life, 14 outlaws lay dead, and he was never once was wounded; hit in the hat, belt, boot strap, but never hurt - now thats something! But as with most frontier situations, he relied on his Rifle - the legendary Winchester - anecdotes say that once he came across 6 wolves tearing up a live cow out on the range during an extremely harsh winter; on horseback at a gallop he took out all 6 with 8 shots!
Reeves was known as being equal in treatment of all - once he even arrested and brought in his own son who murdered his wife in a fit of anger - when no other marshals wanted to bring his grown child in. But then there were even more tight spots he would find himself in; Reeves was also known as being an excellent marksman to the point where if outlaws knew he was looking for them, they were considered a dead man unless they turned in...
However he did have a personal rule - that you never shoot a man unless they were trying to kill you. His method of the "cross-handed draw" gave him deadly accuracy - out of the 14 attempts on his life, 14 outlaws lay dead, and he was never once was wounded; hit in the hat, belt, boot strap, but never hurt - now thats something! But as with most frontier situations, he relied on his Rifle - the legendary Winchester - anecdotes say that once he came across 6 wolves tearing up a live cow out on the range during an extremely harsh winter; on horseback at a gallop he took out all 6 with 8 shots!
And so Reeves was also an excellent horseman; standing over 6'2 he needed a big horse; one of his favorites was a big red stallion named "Blaze" . In his own words "when you get as big as me, a small horse is as worthless as a preacher in a whiskey joint fight - just when you need him bad to help you out, he's got to stop and think about it a little bit". But there were times he would ride different horses so as not to be recognized - he planned before he rode....
If Reeves were fictional, he would be a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Superman,
and the Lone Ranger" - Historian Art Burton
"doggedly determined" "absolutely fearless" "cool under pressure" "proficiently multilingual" "trustworthingly honest"
He is considered one of the most successful US Deputy Federal Marshals in America's History.
His nickname was the "Invincible Marshal".
And that folks,
is A REAL Hero...
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Interested in finding out more?
Please click and read on just a few links of many @
Please click and read on just a few links of many @
- footnote -
Bass Reeves was also a former slave, and could not read or write -
but that is certainly not what defined him, and his lifetime achievements.
So I take it to heart that Bass Reeves is an example to be followed by all of us;
"our strengths should always be defined by whats inside of us, not by what happens to us"
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