Family and dutySourced
The wanted man was his own son
Bass Reeves escaped slavery and became a deputy U.S. marshal in 1875. His career eventually brought a painful assignment: arresting his son on a murder charge. Behind the frontier legend sits a very difficult family story.
A badge can become a heavy thing.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
Source and reuse details
Bass Reeves · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05