"Bass Reeves"(July 1838-January 1910).

Is through to be one of the first,if not the first,African Americans to receive a commission as a Deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi River.Born enslaved in Crawford

County,Arkansas and then moved to Paris Texas,Bass took the surname of his master,George Reeves a farmer and politician.It was during the Civil War that bass parted company with George:some say because Bass beat up George after after a dispute in a card game.Others believe that Bass heard too much about the "freeing of slaves" and simply ran away.He fled north into Native American Territory and lived with Seminole and Creek Native Americans.Bass became a crack shot with a pistol.He later moved to Arkansas and homesteaded near Van Buren.Once he got his farm going, he married Nellie Jennie from Texas.They began raising a family.In time,they had ten children-five boys and five girls.Bass and his family farmed until 1875 when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge in Fort Smith.Isaac appointed James F.Fagan as U.S. Marshal.It was James job to to hire 200 deputy U.S. Marshals.James heard about Bass who knew Native American Territory and could speak several Native American languages.James recruited Bass as deputy U.S. marshal.Although he arrested some the most dangerous criminals of the time,he was not shot(despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions).He had to arrest his own son for murder.Bass worked a total of thirty-two years as a federal peace officer.During his career he worked the Native American Territory,pre-state Oklahoma.At statehood he became a member of the Muskogee Oklahoma police department at age of 68.Bass became a legend in the Native American Territory and was one of Judge Isaac C. Parker's, (of Fort Smith,Arkansas'federal court),most valued deputies.Bass was at one point in his career,himself charged with murdering  a posse cook.At his trial he was represented by William Henry Harrison Clayton best known as W.H.H. Clayton,the former U.S. Attorney,who had established a close friendship with Bass while working together in law enforcement.Clayton,was able to convince a jury to acquit Bass in a trial in front of Judge Parker.Bass was an expert with a rifle and pistol.During his long career he developed superior detective skills.Before he retired from federal service in 1907,he had arrested over 3,000 felons.Bass admitted having to shoot and kill fourteen outlaws in defending his life while making arrests. Many scholars consider Bass to be one of the most outstanding frontier heroes in United States heroes history.His health failed in January when he died of Kidney Disease.In 1972 his nephew Judge Paul L. Brady (1937-?),resumed his uncle's legacy.Judge Brady became the first African-American appointed a Federal Administrative Law Judge,retiring in 1997.