Hero of the Week 57

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is....

Richard Jewell

Richard Jewell was born on December 17, 1962, in Danville, Virginia. He grew up being raised by his mother and step-father before he chose to start working in law enforcement. By the year 1996, he was employed as a security guard down in Atlanta, Georgia. But nothing could have ever prepared him for the events that come in July.

That month, the world was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Summer Olympics. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the olympics had more than 10,000 athletes from 197 nations that came to compete. This was coupled with over 2 million visitors who came to attend the games from the stands, while more than 3.5 billion watched from their television sets. Despite having a high security presence, nobody could have predicted an impending disaster.

On the night July 17, thousands of people gathered in the Centennial Olympic Park for a concert by the band, Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Richard Jewell was doing a routine grounds check when he spotted a suspicious looking green knapsack under a bench near the NBC sound tower. Following his job's protocol, Richard quickly informed the Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers of the suspicious bag. When the responding officers, opened the bag, they discovered three pipe bombs surrounded by three inch long masonry nails. 

Knowing that the bomb could go off at any second, the officers and security guards (Richard Jewell included) immediately began to organize an evacuation of people in the area. Just three minutes later, the bombs went off. More than 100 people were caught in the blast and received various injuries. When the dust settled, 2 people were dead and 111 were wounded. Due to the early warning and evacuation efforts by the security however, hundreds of people were successfully saved from the bombing. This was directly due to Jewell's discovery and alerting authorities to the bomb's location.

For a short period, Richard Jewell was heralded by the press as a hero who had saved many people from being killed in the bombing. Unfortunately the public's attitude changed when the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) got a leak from the FBI saying that the latter had named Jewell as a suspect in their investigation. The public's view of him quickly soured, and Jewell went from, "hero" to "villain" overnight. 

For the next 88 days of his life, he was heckled by news media who followed him as he went to work and came home. His movements were also routinely monitored by FBI agents who believed he was indeed the terrorist. Jewell was advised by his attorneys not to speak to the media and mostly tried to go about his business. But when the FBI began to pressure him into waiving his Miranda rights, and searched his home twice, he hired an ex-agent to administer a polygraph test (which Jewell passed). Once the results of his polygraph were revealed, the FBI began to ease back on their investigation. On October 26, 1996, Jewell received a letter from the FBI saying that he was no longer a suspect. A year later, Attorney General Janet Reno, expressed regret over the agency's leaking of information to the AJC and offered an apology to Jewell and his family.

Despite being cleared by the FBI, Richard Jewell's life was never the same again. Many people still believed that he something to do with the bombing. He later sued many of the news agencies that had accused him of being the terrorist (some had even compared him to serial killers). Although some of the agencies settled out of court, the case against the AJC has still not been resolved. Ultimately, Richard Jewell was not officially exonerated until 2005, when the real perpetrator of the Centennial Park Bombing (a former soldier named, Eric Rudolph) was arrested and plead guilty to carrying out the attack along with three other bombings.

Sadly, Richard Jewell never got to confront the AJC in a court of law. On August 29, 2007, he passed away due to heart failure from complications of diabetes. He was 44 years old. Even today, Richard Jewell is not widely remembered as a hero who did his job when he was needed. I believe that he should be remembered as a great American hero who fought back against domestic terrorism and made a critical difference in saving many people from dying a terrible death. Hopefully some day, he will finally receive the credit and respect he was so wrongfully denied.

https://www.ajc.com/news/opinion/years-later-still-lose-sleep-over-the-centennial-olympic-park-bombing-here-why/ev1xfMrlsHtRU08v3qut6K/

https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/1fd2d7ae-10d8-474b-9bf1-d1558af697be

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/us/30jewell.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/O/Olympic%20Games

Hero of the Week 56

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Jan Karski

Jan Karski was born on June 24, 1914, in Lodz, Poland. Although he was a baptized Catholic, Karski grew up in a neighborhood where most of the residents were Jewish. He attended college at Lwow University and majored in demographic studies. He originally wished to work as a civil servant in Poland's foreign affairs. Sadly, Karski's dreams were cut short when Poland was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1939. After the defeat of Poland's military, Karski joined the Armia Krajowa (the Polish underground). For the first couple of years, he acted as a courier between resistance cells. 

One of the things that AK was closely observing, was the Nazis persecution of Poland's Jewish population. Karski was instructed to sneak into the Warsaw Ghetto and gather information on the atrocities that were being committed. He later described his experiences many years later, "My job was just to walk. And observe. And remember. The odor. The children. I saw a man standing with blank eyes. I asked the guide: what is he doing? The guide whispered: He's just dying. I remember degradation, starvation, and dead bodies lying on the street. My guide just kept saying, 'look at it and remember'. And I did remember."

After observing the Warsaw ghetto, Karski was smuggled by the AK into a Durchgangslager (a transit concentration camp). This camp that was located in the town of Izbica, was meant to be a temporary station for Jews being transported to the death camp called, Belzec. While disguised as a guard from Estonia, he secretly documented the atrocities being committed against the prisoners and their eventual destination. 

Although he was unable to sneak into Belzec itself, Karski was able to complete at least four reports of the atrocities that he had witnessed. The AK then smuggled him out of Poland, across France, and eventually into Great Britain. Once there, he presented his reports to the Polish government-in-exile. On December 10, 1942, Polish government-in-exile published a 16 page brochure titled, The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland. This brochure was the first official document informing the Western public about the Holocaust in German-occupied Europe. Unfortunately, many of the people who read this report (especially in the United States) dismissed it was too incredible to believe. 

For his part, Jan Karski continued to submit reports about what he witnessed. He spoke with many of the Allied leaders (including President Roosevelt) and informed them of the massacres being committed in Poland. He also spoke to religious leaders and activists. Sadly, many of his reports were brushed off by the public as atrocity propaganda.  The Western Allies would not fully accept the authenticity of Karski's reports until their soldiers began liberating concentration camps in the final months of the War in Europe. 

After World War II ended in Europe, Jan Karski immigrated to the United States and became a citizen in 1954. He then became a professor at Georgetown University where he taught International Affairs and comparative government for the next 40 years. One of his students was the future president, Bill Clinton. Karski was also prominently featured in the 1985 documentary film, Shoah (during which he became good friends with, Elie Wiesel). He died on July 13, 2000, at the age 86. On May 29, 2012, Karski was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

Throughout his life, Jan Karski showed great courage and dedication to helping those in need by spreading word of their plight. He put his life on the line many times and played a major role in recording the story of one of the greatest tragedies in human history and spreading the knowledge of it to the entire world. In doing so, he helped to ensure that the tragedy of the Holocaust will never be forgotten. I believe that he should be regarded as one of the greatest men in history.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/jan-karski

https://www.jankarski.net/en/about-jan-karski/jan-karski-life.html

https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/karski.html

https://blog.europeana.eu/2019/01/jan-karski-witness-to-the-holocaust%EF%BB%BF/

Hero of the Week 55

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Walter Morrill

Walter Goodale Morrill was born on November 13, 1840 in Williamsburg, Maine. For most of his early life, he lived on his parent's farm. However, when the future of his country was in jeopardy, Walter Morrill would answer the call of duty and face challenges he never could have imagined.

Part 1

When civil war broke out between the Northern and Southern states, Morrill enlisted in the 6th Maine Volunteer Infantry. Fifteen months later, he was transferred to Company B of the 20th Maine. He saw combat at Williamsburg, Malvern Hill, Fair Oaks, Second Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville. These experiences turned him into a battle hardened soldier. But at the battle of Gettysburg, Morrill would face a challenge much greater than he ever anticipated.

The Battle of Gettysburg officially began on July 1, 1863. By July 2, the Union Army of the Potomac had been pushed back into a fishhook formation on the outskirts of the city. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia then began to focus their assaults on the two flanks of the Federal army. The Federal right was at Culp's Hill while the Federal left was at a place called, Little Round Top. If either side gave, the whole flank would cave in. 

In the thick of the fighting was the 20th Maine under the command of Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. For most of the day the regiment held off repeated attacks by the Confederate Army. But they soon began to run low on their ammunition and half of their complement was killed or wounded. In desperation, Col Chamberlain decided to order a bayonet charge on the Confederates as soon as the latter began their next assault on Little Round Top. 

It was Captain Morrill's Company B that would lead this charge. Throughout the battle, Company B had taken the some of the worst of the 20th's casualties. By this time, there were only 44 soldiers that were able to continue fighting (plus 14 men from the 2nd US Sharpshooters). Despite this, all of them fixed bayonets when Morrill gave the order. Hiding behind a stonewall, the men of Company B anxiously waited for the bugle that sounded the charge. 

As they heard the Confederates move in close, the bugle for the bayonet charge was sounded. With Captain Morrill at their head, the men of Company B let out a shrill scream and charged down the hill into the Confederates. They were quickly followed by the rest of the regiment. Caught by surprise and demoralized by their own high casualties, many of the Confederates threw down their arms and surrendered. The rest all broke and ran. As they did, Captain Morrill had the men of Company B fire a final volley into the retreating Confederates. This volley is credited with eliminating any chance of a rally from the Confederates. With that, the assault on the Union left at Little Round Top ended. By the end of July 3, the Confederate Army retreated from Gettysburg and victory was won for the Union.

Although much of the credit for the 20th Maine's heroic stand was given to Colonel Chamberlain, he personally credited his soldiers for the victory. Among those he honored was Captain Morrill. Chamberlain wrote that, "he (Morrill) and his skirmishers fell upon the enemy as they were breaking, and by his demonstrations, as well as his well-directed fire, added much to the effect of the bayonet charge that cleared the front of nearly our entire brigade". Captain Morrill had displayed great heroism and courage at the battle of Gettysburg. However, his service and dedication to his country would not end there. Just several months later, his leadership would be put the test once again.

Part II 

Approximately four months after the battle of Gettysburg, Captain Morrill found himself once again in the thick of a major battle. His unit would be spearheading a daring night attack on a Confederate fortification at a place in Northern Virginia called, Rappahannock Station.

Despite winning a major victory at Gettysburg, victory for the Union was still very far away. In the aftermath of the Gettysburg Campaign, General George Meade reorganized the Army of the Potomac and launched an invasion of Northern Virginia in pursuit of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. What followed the would be a series of minor engagements from October to November called, the Bristoe Campaign. 

Most of the campaign was fought in the month of October. Although casualties were relatively light, by the beginning of November, neither side had a clear advantage on the other (both armies had not yet recovered from their losses at Gettysburg). General Lee had pulled the Army of Northern Virginia back to a position behind the Rappahannock River. However, he left behind a pontoon bridge that crossed the river at Rappahannock Station. This bridgehead was a small but essential part of Lee's defenses on the Rappahannock River. 

General Meade new this too and sent a small portion of the Union Army under the command of General John Sedgwick to capture it. To take the bridgehead at Rappahannock Station, General Sedgwick planned to launch a daring night attack on the Confederate garrison. The men who would be spearheading this attack were 300 soldiers from the 6th Maine and 50 volunteers 20th Maine. The man who would lead the charge was, Captain Walter Morrill. The Confederates were entrenched in a semi-circle position on the north bank of the Rappahannock just beyond a railroad. Under the cover of darkness, Morrill and his volunteers slowly moved across an open plain toward the Confederate right. 

At 3 AM, the Yankees let out a shrill yell and charged at bayonet point. Soon the entire field erupted with the sounds of bullets and cannons. Despite taking some severe casualties, Morrill's unit cut its way through the Confederate lines and quickly seized the pontoon bridge that crossed the Rappahannock. By doing this, they cut off the Confederate army's escape route. In desperation, the Confederates attempted to launch a counter attack to retake the bridge, but the rest of the Union army quickly descended on them. Within less than an hour, the battle was over. The Union Army had suffered just over 400 casualties. The Confederates on the other hand lost 1,670 (mostly captured) out of the 2,000 man garrison. Upon learning of the defeat at Rappahannock Station, General Lee realized that his flank was now open to direct attack and was forced to pull his army back to a new defensive line. Thus concluded the Bristoe Campaign.

Epilogue

The credit for the victory at Rappahannock Station was largely credited to Captain Morrill and his small group who spearheaded the attack. For his heroism and leadership that night (and also at Gettysburg), he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Walter Morrill would go on to participate in more than a dozen more battles and engagements and reach the rank of Colonel. Despite being wounded twice, he survived the war and returned to Maine were he raised a family and worked as a landlord.  He died on March 3, 1935, at the age of 94.

Walter Goodale Morrill showed great courage and leadership during the War between the States. Throughout the conflict he continually placed himself at the head of his soldiers and made a key difference in several battles. More often than not, not enough credit goes to men like him. He definitely deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest heroes of the Civil War.

  

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2015/11/18/we-went-and-staid-too/

http://www.pittsfieldhistoricalsociety.org/col-walter-g-morrill/

https://bangordailynews.com/2013/11/08/news/night-attack-in-virginia-cost-washington-county-dearly/

Hero of the Week 54

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Marguerite Higgins

Marguerite "Maggie" Higgins was born on September 3, 1920 in Hong Kong. She grew up in Oakland, California and attended the University of California, Berkley. She graduated from Berkley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French. She then attended Columbia University School of Journalism where she earned her master's degree in 1941. She was eventually able to secure a job with the New York Herald Tribune.

When the United States entered World War II, Higgins became determined to go out and report on the conflict as a war correspondent. Despite being in woman working in a man's profession she finally got her wish in 1944. She was sent to Europe where she joined an American Army unit that was fighting its way into Germany. She was present during the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp (a visit that had a profound impact on her). When World War II ended, Higgins also covered the Nuremberg Trials. However, it was what she did in the next military conflict that would cement her a memorable role in American history.

In June of 1950, the communist North Korean People's Army swarmed across the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea. In response, a large United Nations task force (spearheaded by the United States) was rushed to the South's defense. Among those who arrived with the task force, were a large number of war correspondents (Higgins included). For the next six months, she reported on the conflict to the American public. She would wake up around the same time as the GI's and accompany them to the front lines as they went into combat. In some cases she came under direct enemy fire while covering an assault. Her skills would be put to a major test in one of the Korean War's biggest operations, the Inchon Landing.

On September 15, 1950, American soldiers and marines launched a surprise attack behind enemy lines at the port of Inchon. Maggie Higgins landed with the marines at a point codenamed, "Red Beach". She was in the fifth wave that came ashore under heavy fire from the entrenched North Koreans. Throughout the engagement, Higgins reported on the heavy casualties and the heroism of the marines as they fought their way off Red Beach and through the North Korean defenses. When the battle was over, she submitted her report to the Herald Tribune three days after. This report sent all over the United States and read by millions of people.

Maggie Higgins would go on to cover the liberation of Seoul and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. A few months later, she returned to the United States and received the Pulitzer Prize for international journalism. She was the first woman to ever receive the award and one of only six journalists to receive it for covering the Korean War.

In 1952, Marguerite Higgins married and raised a family. Even then however, she continued to travel the world and cover many historical events. In 1965, she traveled to Vietnam to cover the growing American military presence. Sadly she ended up contracting leishmaniasis and passed away a year later at the young age of 45.

Marguerite Higgins was a brave woman who set a great precedent for all of those who work in news coverage. She showed great courage in risking and ultimately giving her life to let the world know the truth. She truly is someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.pulitzer.org/article/marguerite-higgins-hits-red-beach

https://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/h/higgins_m.htm

http://nedforney.com/index.php/2018/09/15/marguerite-higgins-korean-war-inchon-landing/

Hero of the Week 53

Welcome back everyone

Hero of the Week is about to get restarted!

This week's hero is...

Peter Salem

Peter Salem was born on October 1, 1750. He grew up as a slave in Farmington, Massachusetts for most of his young life. Much of his early life has been lost to history. However, as an adult he would go on to become one of America's greatest patriots. 

By April of 1775, the Patriot (American) army under the command of George Washington, had begun to lay siege to Boston. By June of that year, their commanders learned that the British were intending to seize a number of unoccupied hills around the city in order to gain control of Boston Harbor. In order to counter this, the Patriots decided to occupy two hills located on the Charlestown Peninsula. One was called Breed's Hill (where most of the Patriot army was stationed), the other was Bunker Hill. By June of 1775, the fortifications were completed and more than 1,200 Patriots under the commands of William Prescott and Israel Putnam were stationed on Bunker and Breed's hills. Upon learning of the Patriot army's fortifications on the Charlestown Peninsula, 3,000+ British soldiers (under the command of Sir William Howe) marched out of Boston and prepared to launch an assault on the two hills. 

For his part, Peter Salem was placed in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment under the command of Colonel John Nixon. Although, he had previously seen combat at the battles of Lexington and Concord, this one would be the most important. It was a battle that would help to decide the course of the American Revolution.

At the dawn of June 17, 1775, the British began their assault on the Patriot lines. After a quick bombardment from their ships in the harbor, the British infantry began to advance in column formation through the smoke up towards the entrenchments. They were expecting an easy victory against fresh militia men who had not seen combat. What they did not know was that the Patriots had a nasty surprise waiting for them. 

William Prescott had ordered his men to hold fire until the British were within 100 yards of their line (his order was, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"). As soon as the Redcoats had gotten past the range, the patriots rose from their trenches and fired directly into the former's faces. The Redcoats found themselves caught in the open with no cover and were easily mowed down by withering musket fire. After just a few minutes, the first British assault was beaten back with heavy casualties. 

Although stunned at the turn of events, General Howe quickly ordered a second attack on the Patriot line. This time the British targeted a different portion of the trenches. However, this attack was also beaten back after the Patriots once again waited for the British to get in close before firing at point blank range. Despite the mounting casualties, General Howe was still determined to take the hills and ordered a third assault. By now, the Patriot army was running low on ammunition and many of them began to retreat. The line finally broke when the British charged with fixed bayonets (which most of the patriots did not have). Even then however, the latter continued to make the redcoats pay for every inch of the hill and organized a fighting retreat. 

Peter Salem was among those who stayed behind to cover the retreat. During the battle he spotted an officer who was leading the redcoats into the trenches. Salem quickly aimed his rifle at the officer and fired. His shot hit the man directly in the head, killing him almost instantly. This officer was later revealed to be Major John Pitcairn (who had commanded the British at Lexington and Concord). His death momentarily slowed down the British advance and bought precious time for the Patriots to evacuate most of their wounded. Salem was among their last men to leave the fortification at Breed's Hill.

After a short rearguard action on Bunker Hill, the last of the Patriot forces successfully retreated from the Charlestown Peninsula. After two hours of heavy fighting, the battle of Bunker Hill was over. The British had successfully driven the Patriots from the field and won the battle. However, their army had suffered horrific losses. It is estimated that the British suffered at least 1,054 casualties (including many officers) compared to just 450 patriot losses. Ultimately their victory at Bunker hill was short-lived. Due to their high losses the British found themselves unable to continue holding their positions. General Howe eventually ordered an evacuation of Boston. Thus ended the first military campaign of the American Revolution.

Peter Salem's valor and courage during the battle was widely recognized by his fellow comrades. He would go on to fight in the battles of Saratoga and Stony Point. He eventually received an honorable discharge in 1779. He then returned to Farmington and lived the rest of his life as a free man. He eventually married and moved to Leicester, Massachusetts where he worked as cane weaver. He passed away on August 16, 1816, at the age of 66. In 1882, the town of Farmington erected a monument in his honor.

Although there have been many well-known individuals who fought bravely for American independence, there are many more who have been largely forgotten by the general populace. Peter Salem is one of those people. Like so many before and after, he fought for a country that did not see him as equal and did not receive much recognition until many years after his death. Today, he is remembered as one of America's bravest soldiers in the Revolution.

https://aaregistry.org/story/peter-salem-an-original-patriot/

https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog/peter-salem-and-battle-bunker-hill

http://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com/peter-salem/

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/salem-peter-ca-1750-1816/

Sea Stories Intro

Welcome back everyone.

As you all know, I have written many blog posts about lesser known people whom did something heroic that I believe deserves to be remembered. As of now however, that has temporarily come to an end. This coming May, I will begin a new blog post series. This one will be called, "Sea Stories".

These posts will focus on disasters at sea and the effects that they had on the world. It will feature great stories of survival and tragedy on the high seas. Those who read will discover how disaster can sometimes bring about the best and sometimes the worst in people.

Hero of the Week 52

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Gino Bartali

Gino Bartali was born on July 18, 1914 in Florence, Italy. As a boy he developed a passion for the sport of cycling. By the time he turned 17, he won his first race. By the 1930s, he had become a champion and was well-known throughout Europe. He won the tour de France in 1938 and the Giro d'Tialia three times. He is still regarded today as one of the best cyclists in history. However, nobody knew until recently that Gino Bartali was carrying a major secret. It was a secret part of his life that he seldom spoke of to anyone.

In 1943, the people of Italy overthrew their fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. The latter's ousting caused Adolf Hitler to order an invasion of Italy and military occupation of the country. Almost immediately, the Nazis began to hunt down the country's Jewish population. Having no love for fascism of any kind, Gino Bartali immediately joined the Italian resistance where he worked as a courier. 

Bartali's skills as a cyclist made him an invaluable asset. He would carry photographs and counterfeit documents within the hollow frame of his bicycle. He would deliver them while using his training routes. This also helped to hide his involvement in the resistance. If Bartali was ever stopped at a checkpoint, he would engage the guards in conversation and convince them that he was simply training for future competitions (which gave him a perfect alibi). Although some guards did get very suspicious of Bartali's activities (he was nearly arrested at least one time) he was never caught nor did he ever blow his cover. 

Another thing that Gino Bartali did was act as messenger for people who were helping Jewish refugees. He got in contact with an underground network called the, "Assisi Underground". This network was organized by a small group of Church people in order to smuggle Jews to hiding locations and forge their documents. As with the resistance, Bartali was tasked with delivering forged documents to refugees. These documents enabled many of them to escape to Switzerland (which had closed its borders) or to safe locations in the Alps. Bartali also personally hid a Jewish family in a cellar for an entire year before Italy was liberated by Allied forces. 

It is estimated that Gino Bartali took part in rescuing more than 800 Jews during World War II. In the aftermath of the war, he immediately returned to cycling. In the year 1948, Gino Bartali once again competed in the tour de France. And for a second time, he won. He continued to race until an injury forced him to retire. 

However, he never spoke of his role in saving people during World War II (not even to his family). His heroism would have largely been forgotten had he not been contacted by a daughter of one of the refugees that he had saved who wanted to meet him. Although Bartali was more than happy to meet with her, he asked that she not reveal nor document his underground activities. When asked why, his replied that his motivations for his actions were purely made by conscience. He was quoted as saying that, "The good is done, but it is not said. And certain medals hang on the soul, not the jacket". 

Gino Bartali passed away on May 5, 2000 at the age of 85. Twelve years later, his son Andrea got in contact with many of the people that Gino had helped save decades earlier. Only then, was the latter's heroism revealed to rest of the world. In 2013, Gino Bartali was posthumously named, Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem. As of today he is widely remembered as one of Italy's greatest heroes of World War II. 

https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/righteous-sportsmen/bartali.asp

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/gino-bartali

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/05/25/gino-bartali-world-war-ii

http://www.sinistraineuropa.it/storie/quando-i-fascisti-convocarono-gino-bartali-a-villa-triste/

Hero of the Week 51

Welcome back viewers

As a special treat for those who are interested, I have temporarily returned to Hero of the Week.

This week's hero is...

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves was born in July of 1838. He grew up as a slave in the state of Arkansas. During the Civil War, Reeves was able to escape from slavery to the Oklahoma Indian Territory of the United States. While he was there he met with members of the Seminole and Cherokee tribes who taught him how to navigate the territory and how to survive in the wilderness. He also learned how to speak their language. Reeves returned to Arkansas in 1865 after learning about the 13th Amendment which had abolished slavery. At the end of the war, Reeves worked on a farm and raised a family (eleven children). In a few years however, his life would change forever.

In the year of 1875, the Federal Western District Court moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas. Upon their arrival, they immediately recruited more than 200 individuals to work as lawmen within Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). The Oklahoma territory was regarded by many as an extremely lawless and dangerous refuge for numerous criminals who were responsible for violent crimes. Upon revealing his knowledge of the area and his skills as a gunslinger, Bass Reeves was commissioned as a deputy by Federal Judge Isaac Parker. In doing so, he became the very first African-American to become a marshal while west of the Mississippi River

The Oklahoma Territory covered more than 75,000 square miles. However, this proved to be no great challenge to Reeves. He was able to easily navigate the terrain and track down many wanted criminals. Due to racism from fellow lawmen, Reeves had to conduct his apprehensions of criminals by himself with very little support. By 1878, he was one of the most feared and respected lawmen of Oklahoma. One of his greatest and most legendary achievements was his face-off against the outlaw, Bob Dozier. 

Dozier was an outlaw who had committed crimes ranging from cattle-rustling to murder. For years, he had been pursued by many different lawmen and managed to either evade or kill all of them. Despite the daunting task ahead of him, Bass Reeves joined in on the hunt. For several months, Reeves and Dozier played a game of cat and mouse until December, when the former received a tip-off from Natives of the Cherokee Nation as to the whereabouts of Dozier. On December 20, 1878 Reeves tracked Bob Dozier to the Cherokee hills. While a storm blew overhead, the two got into a gunfight. It ended when Reeves killed Dozier with a bullet to the neck.

Bass Reeves would go on to serve as deputy marshal for more than 32 years. He eventually retired in 1907. For the next two years, he worked as a policeman in the city of Muskogee, Oklahoma before ill health forced him to retire. He passed away on January 12, 1910. In his life, Bass Reeves had killed at least 14 outlaws and conducted more than 3,000 arrests (mostly by himself). 

Bass Reeves truly was a legend of his time. He dedicated nearly his whole life to serving the American law and bringing criminals to justice. He broke racial barriers and played a great role in taming the Wild West. Today he is remembered as one of America's greatest heroes of the Wild West.

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/bob-dozier-oklahoma-outlaw/

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bassreeves/

https://www.history.com/news/bass-reeves-real-lone-ranger-a-black-man

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bass-Reeves

https://www.blackpast.org/aaw/vignette_aahw/reeves-bass-1838-1910/