NARRATIVE: Bass Reeves (July 1838 – January 12, 1910) was born into slavery in Arkansas. He escaped from his owner and fled to Indian Territory where he learned tribal languages, customs, tracking and survival skills. He eventually became a farmer, rancher, and one of the first African-American Deputy US Marshals of the West, serving in the deadly Indian Territory of Oklahoma for over 32 years. He was highly esteemed and extremely skilled, facing some of the most ruthless outlaws of his day.

One poignant event of his career happened when he had to arrest his own son Benjamin “Bennie” Reeves, who was charged with murdering his wife, Castella Brown. This painting depicts the moment when Bass was shocked to learn that Bennie was a fugitive of the law. Bass, in turn, volunteered to be the official to bring in his son, not knowing what the sentence would be, but feeling the responsibility to do the right thing and, possibly, thinking it would be Bennie’s best chance of not being killed for fleeing the law.