This week on History Happy Hour: Bass Reeves was born into slavery and never learned to read or write. But he nevertheless became one of the most feared lawmen in the west who carried out more than 3000 arrests and killed 14 men while carrying out his mission as a deputy Federal Marshall.

Art Burton has spent years digging into his story. In this encore episode, Chris and Rick welcome Art to talk about his book Black Gun, Silver Star: The Legend of Frontier Marshall Bass Reeves.

 

Art T. Burton, is a long-time history professor, focusing on the American West. He is the author of several books including Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870-1907, as well as Black Buckskin and Blue: African American Scouts and Soldiers on the Western Frontier.