PREFACE

This book pertains to the life of Samuel Bass, born two miles

North of Mitchell, Indiana. Sam, eventually, ran away to Texas and

became known as the Texas Robinhood. Much has been written

concerning this young bandit over the past hundred and twenty years.

However, a lot previously written has been fabricated and/or highly

exaggerated.

This book should help get rid of some of the untruths while

shining a light on new known facts and information.

Sam was, afterall, a mere mortal human being like you and I, with

wants, needs, likes, dislikes, as well as ups and downs.

Sam didn't, purposefully, set out to be bad; however, bad he

became. Fact is- He was never as bad as some of the earlier authors

would have you believe.

He was gunned down by Texas Rangers, dying from his wounds on his

27th birthday.

Everyone hopes they can leave this world knowing they will be

remembered for something. Samuel Bass definitely achieved this, the

hard way. Now Bass' blood runs deep through the heart of Round Rock,

Texas.

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all of my grandchildren- Jacquelyn

Nicole, Brittany Marie, Jacob Anthony, Nicholas Christian, Christopher

John, Alyson J'Nette, Alexander Jordan, and Jeffrey Blake. Also, in

memory of my first born son, Christopher George Brainard (11-08-76 to

12-15-94).

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INTRODUCTION

Some of any one given family's history will never be clear.

However, it is our obligation to preserve our heritage for future

generations. Putting names and faces to ancestors long gone helps our

children understand, and more willingly enjoy, history as a whole.

I feel obligated to dig down deep uncovering the truths and

untruths concerning a distant maternal relative, Samuel Bass. In doing

this I will also cover pertinent people, places, and events that

coincide with Sam's life in order to make my writing factual and

interesting.

There is not much talk in Sam's home state of Indiana on his

behalf. They claim Dillinger as their most famous outlaw. Sam was

disowned by most of his family upon going against the law, but in Texas

his name is practically a household word.

I have decided to take on the task of righting the wrongs, and

correcting the untruths, concerning this distant cousin of my maternal

grandmother. There are no crimes among family unworthy of forgiveness.

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Table of Contents:

Chapter I

Childhood in Lawrence County, Indiana to 1870

Chapter II

Jobs and Life Through 1875

Chapter III

Indiana Goes On Without Him

Chapter IV

The Growth of the Texas Frontier and The Bass Gang

Chapter V

About The Bass Gang

Chapter VI

Career of the Bass Gang comes To an End

Chapter VII

After the Death of Sam Bass

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Chapter I

Childhood in Lawrence County, Indiana to 1870

On the third day of May in 1821 Daniel Bass was born to John and

Sarah ("Sallie") 'Fender' Bass. They were residents of Ashe County,

North Carolina which is located in the northeast corner of the state.

He grew up in the company of five sisters and four brothers, all of

Who reached adulthood.

On the 17th day of December in 1821 Elizabeth Jane Sheeks was

born to George and Elizabeth 'Canotte' Sheeks in Marion Township of

Lawrence County, Indiana. (**Marshall Township is located near the

middle of the county, and is bounded on the north by the east fork of

the White River, on the East Side by Bono Township, on the West Side by

Spice Valley Township and on the south by Orange County.) This was

located near Rock Creek in the small community of Rock Lick. Elizabeth

was next to the youngest of twelve children. These twelve were born

between 1801and 1824. (There was no fellow sibling by the name of

Daniel B. Sheeks, as reported in earlier writings about Sam.)

*Insert- Sheeks genealogy page

The Sheeks' and Bass' were neighbors living in the same county,

however, different townships. The Bass family lived in Marshall

Township. **(Marshall Township is in the middle of the three townships

that forms the northern tier of the county. It is the smallest township

in Lawrence County, being made up of twenty-eight sections all together.

And was named for the renowned Chief Justice of the United States.)

Daniel Bass and Elizabeth Jane Sheeks married on October 20th of

the year 1840. Justice of joined these two in holy matrimony

the Peace, James Davis, and not the imaginary brother of the bride,

Daniel B. Sheeks.

FOOTNOTE: Refer to insert- marriage certificate, courtesy of Lawrence County's Historical/Genealogical Society.

FOOTNOTE: **info from 'History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington Co.'s, Indiana (Goodspeed Bros. and Co. 1884.)

________________________________________________________________________

Daniel and Elizabeth moved to their own little section of

farmland located approximately two miles north of the town of Mitchell.

On this land was a house built before they took their vows, with the

help of other family members. There they commenced farming and raising

a family of their own. Their little house was on enough land to raise

food for their fast growing family, but not cash crops. Daniel was

known as a substinent farmer. Meaning he raised only what could be used

by his immediate family.

In this house on the 17th of July in 1841 the first child was

born to the Bass home. This son, named Isaac after Elizabeth's brother

who died at the age of eighteen, passed away only eleven months and

twenty-two days after his birth. (*Refer to Sheeks Cemetery listing)

Isaac's saddened parents buried him in the Sheeks' cemetery located

between Mitchell and Bedford in Marion Township on the Sheeks'farmland.

Solomon was born on March 24th in 1843 and died just short of his

fourth birthday on April 2nd in 1847. Little Solomon was laid to rest

near his brother on his maternal grandparent's little more than three

months before the birth of their first daughter, Euphemia,'Efanny' for

short. 'Efanny' birth took place on July 20th of 1847. Daniel and

Elizabeth added another son in 1845 by the name of George W..

FOOTNOTE: Refer to Daniel Bass genealogical sheet and Sheeks Cemetery Listing, courtesy of Lawrence County's Historical/Genealogical Society.

________________________________________________________________________

In 1849 on October 2nd Clarissa joined Daniel and Elizabeth's

family. By the time Clarissa was born, George was old enough to help

his father with light chores around the farm, and 'Efanny' old

enough to help her mother with chores inside.

The Bass children, upon reaching school age, were taught in the

Woodville schoolhouse close to their family farm. However, schools only

lasted three months out of the year, and ended with the eleventh grade

at that time. Indiana is also the first state to have free kindergarten.

The actual town in which this first took place was New Harmony in Posey

County. New Harmony was one of the original experimental Utopias, and

favored hometown and burial place for my ancestors. (*a-1)

During the heat of July, on the 21st, in 1851 Samuel was born

and named in honor of his father's brother. On July 24th in 1853

another son,John L., was born. Again on June 24th in 1855 another baby

was added to the Bass household, Clarissa. On the 2nd day of September

in 1857 Sarah, called "Sally", joined the Bass household. Then on the

4th day of December in 1859 Elizabeth gave birth to the couple's last

child, Denton. Horan referred to Daniel and Elizabeth's youngest as

'Linton' in his book, The Authentic Wild West (The Outlaws). (*a-2)

Elizabeth Jane 'Sheeks' Bass passed away on the 3rd of June in 1861,

FOOTNOTE: (*a-1) Tourist pamphlet, courtesy of Workman's Library in New Harmony, Indiana. (*a-2) Horan, James A., The Authentic Wild West (The Outlaws), Crown Publishers, Inc. 1980 (2nd of trilogy)

_______________________________________________________________________

just weeks after the onset of the Civil War. **(There were no official

birth or death records in Lawrence County prior to 1882. Lawrence

County, however, has land and cemetery records from as early as 1816.)

Elizabeth was buried on her parent's land next to her two small sons who

proceeded her in death. (*Sheeks Cemetery list, insert.)

George W. Bass, with the help of a close family friend, Columbus

Moore, joined in service of the Civil War at the age of eighteen. He

joined the same outfit as Columbus Moore, the 16th Indiana Volunteer

Regiment's Company "D". Moore was in the 16th's Company "C" from the

23rd of April in 1861 through the 23rd of March in 1862. Moore

joined Company "D" on July 4th just ten days before signing on George.

Columbus Moore became Captain of Company "D" in August that same year.

The Colonel of the 16th was T.J. Lucas of Dearborn County. George's

military pay went to help support his sisters and brothers at home, and

his ailing father. (*a-3)

FOOTNOTE: (*a-3) National Archives document copies, inserts from military records of Columbus Moore and George W. Bass.)

**Lawrence County Historical/Genealogical Society.

________________________________________________________________________

Daniel was suffering from what was known as consumption, now know as TB.

George W.'s intentions were honorable, but short-lived.

Approximately 5 P.M. on August 30th of 1862 fighting broke out among

tombstones in the Richmond, Kentucky cemetery. George was wounded.

Sam's only, older, surviving brother died that evening. This same

afternoon, Columbus Moore was taken POW, and released shortly

thereafter. (*a-3)

In addition, the Time/Life Civil War series states four

thousand three hundred and three were captured that fateful day. Of

which two hundred and six were killed, and eight hundred and forty-four

wounded, with most being raw recruits like George. (*a-4)

Samuel Bass was four months shy of his tenth birthday when his

mother died, and turned eleven the month prior to George's death on

the 30th day of August in 1862.

Daniel remarried shortly after Elizabeth's death to Mrs. Margaret

A. 'Lawson' Newkirk with two half grown children, Mary R. "Molly" and

Robert M. "Bob" Newkirk. They moved into the already over-extended

walls of the Bass home. Soon, sometime in 1863, Daniel and Margaret's

only child, Charles, was born into the Bass family, bringing them to an

even dozen.

FOOTNOTE: (*a-3 & a-4) Time/Live Civil War Series (Richmond, Ky. encounter)

________________________________________________________________________

Daniel died on the 20th day of February in 1864 while on business

in Bedford, the county seat. Margaret retrieved his body from Bedford,

and personally brought Daniel home for burial. She buried him in the

cemetery edging the family farm, he worked and loved for more than

twenty-three years, on one side. The Woodville Road also crossed two

miles north of Mitchell bound one side of Daniel Bass' farmland.

Daniel was raised a Southern Baptist, but turned to the Methodism

after marrying his second wife. His dying Methodist a sore subject for

Daniel's relatives.*

Daniel's father, John, was a 'Whig' who eventually turned

Democrat. Elizabeth's father, George Sheeks, was one of the original

thirteen first to vote in a Marshall Township election.**

At the time of his father's death Sam was twelve and one half

years old. All of the Bass orphans, with the exception of Euphemia,

went to live with David L. Sheeks, their maternal uncle. 'Efanny', as

Euphemia was more commonly known by, was near marrying age and went to

live with a paternal aunt and uncle, John L. and Nancy 'Bass' Dodson.

Nancy was first wife of John, and they had six children of their own to

raise when they took it upon themselves to take "Efanny" into their

household. John L.'s second wife, after the

**Lawrence County Historical/Genealogical Society

________________________________________________________________________

death of Nancy, was Nancy's niece, Diadema, "Demma" for short. Two more

children were born to this union. John L. was a public-spirited citizen

held in high esteems by his neighbors, according to genealogy records

accessible through the Internet.

Charles remained in Margaret's custody, and she soon took him

back to Missouri, along with "Molly" and "Bob", to live near her

relatives. According to outlaw historian, Rick Miller who is District

Attorney for Bell County, Texas this was in the St. Charles area. Mr.

Miller has access to many more records than seen by a normal citizen.

Uncle Dave, by this time, was married to his second of three

wives, Susan Horsey. He married the first to Sylvania Lewis on the

22nd of December in 1842, deceased. Third wife, Matilda Payne, is in

the picture several years later, after the death of "Demma". He added

to his house a couple of times to house his growing family, then again

to accommodate his nieces and nephews. Uncle Dave sired twenty-one

children between his three marriages. His farm was in close proximity

to other family members' farms, being located on the east fork of the

White River. He also owned and operated a saw mill in neighboring

Juliet, now known as Yockey. **(Lawrence County Historical/Genealogical

Society) this making a haphazard circle of family farms.

One of David L.'s brothers, George Canote Sheeks, married

Artemisha Crawford on the 8th of June in 1833 and he sired twelve

children in Boone County, Indiana from 1835 to 1857. Not much is

recorded about the other siblings other than marriages and approximate

dates of death.

*(Their father, George, is one of six hundred and fifty listed as

pioneers who settled Mitchell before 1850.)

FOOTNOTE:*'Year Book of The Society of Indiana Pioneers' put out by the Lawrence County Historical/Genealogical Society in Bedford.)

________________________________________________________________________

Webb stated in 'The Texas Rangers' Sam was raised by an uncle who

gave him no schooling. (*a-5)

Soon after Sam's father died there was an auction held on

Daniel's old farm to sell off all the personal belongings of its former

owners. It took place on the 13th of March in 1864. Solomon, Daniel's

younger brother, was the auctioneer. Some of the immediate family

bought back their most sentimental items, one of which was Daniel's

father, John, Sr., who died almost two years after his son. Sam made

high bid on a favorite bridle, and this (along with the clothes

on his back) was virtually all he took with him when he left Mitchell

for the West. Neither Daniel or Elizabeth left any sort of will, so the

proceeds of the auction were to help further the education of their

children. Uncle Solomon was in charge of the estate, so he rented out

the farmland, and house, shortly after the auction.

FOOTNOTE:

(*a-5)Webb, Walter P., 'The Texas Rangers' page 371, University of Texas Press of Austin 1935.

________________________________________________________________________

When Daniel's brother, Solomon, married he too lived near. His

house approximately one and one half miles from that of Daniel and

Elizabeth. Another maternal aunt and uncle of Sam's, Edwin and Mary

Emmaline 'Sheeks' Wood, lived only half mile away.

thirty-five miles from Sam's family in the town of Seymour. There were

six children, five sons and one daughter. The parents were Wilkinson

and Julia Ann Reno. The Reno Brothers were the original inventors of

train robbery. Their trials were advertised widely, and greatly

influenced Sam's life. In December 1868 New Albany, Indiana had Sam

witnessed the 56 hooded men (belonging to a lynch mob) force their way

into the jail where three of the Renos were being held, stringing them

up while some hung on the jerking bodies to add weight to the noose.

Then, their lives might not have seemed so exciting to him. The Reno

Brothers' only sister, Laura, was yanked from classes at St. Ursula's

Academy in Kentucky to claim the bloated bodies being held at the Floyd

County jail. The three hung were- William, Frank, and Simeon. One of

the two remaining brothers was already in jail on another charge, saving

him from the same ill-gotten fate. Laura Reno was said to be horrified

by the sight of her brothers' bodies once reaching the jail.

According to Walter Prescott Webb wholesale train robbery was

unknown in Texas at this time. (*a-6)

(*a-6)The Texas Rangers by Walter Prescott Webb, pg#374, U. of Texas Press, 1935.

_______________________________________________________________________

"The only cheerful moments the brightened the otherwise gloomy

years Sam spent with his uncle were times when he would hear excited

(and highly exaggerated) stories of the Reno Gang, a tough bunch of

badmen marauding through the territory. They staged one holdup only a

few miles from the Sheeks' farm and by the time the news reached Sam,

their loot was being estimated at $100,000. That, Sam felt, must be the

life. No worries, no cares. just wander around having fun- and when

you run short of cash, simply pull out your gun and take some." (*h-1)

There is a photograph, having been passed off as a picture of Sam

Bass, on the front of the Round Rock Tourist Guide (can also be seen on

the web site for the Round Rock Planning Commission) identical to one in

the possession of the Pinkerton Detective Agency archives identified as

Frank Reno. Photograph of same is depicted in 'Reporter-Times.com for

Morgan County, Indiana, on-line, also identified as Frank Reno. (last

witnessed photo on-line 5/1/99)

The Sheeks were of German/English descent, and were known to

have less trouble with Indians due to their being pacifists. The Bass

family was of English/Dutch descent. And the Renos were of

French/Canadian descent, sur name eventually changing from the original

Renaud and/or Renault to Reno.

FOOTNOTE:(*f-1) Huffaker, Clair in Profiles of the American West's 'The Saga of Sam Bass' page#235-36 by Pocket Books 1976

________________________________________________________________________

Captain Columbus Moore was in the service of his country at the

time of his friend's (Daniel Bass) death. He was injured only a few

weeks later at what was known as Sabine Crop Roads, Louisiana. He was

then hospitalized from May 1st through June 15th at St. James United

States General Hospital in New Orleans. September 1st of 1864 to the

27th of May in 1865 he was held POW, then finally released at Red

While still a youngster, in Indiana during the Civil War, Sam's

home state escaped the fighting, except for two instances. In July of

1862 approximately thirty militia raided the town of Newburgh, situated

on the Ohio just outside of Evansville. Newburgh is known for it's

FOOTNOTE: *National Archives records,and Workman's Library New Harmony, In.

________________________________________________________________________

participation in the Underground Railroad. Many of the original

houses hid tunnels leading to the river in which runaway slaves were

sneaked to safety. Indiana was, as a whole, known for its protection

of runaway slaves. Most slaves were transported to Ohio and beyond.

The second incident happened in July of 1863 when, against his superior

Officer’s orders, General John H. Morgan raided the old state capital of

Corydon. The general was warned not to cross the river into Indiana.

Regardless of the state seeing little in the way of conflicts, it

suffered untold losses during the war due to its generous amount of

willing volunteers.

________________________________________________________________________

Chapter II

Jobs and Living Through 1875

The Indian raids in Texas during 1868, before Sam Bass'arrival,

were partially blamed on governmental mismanagement. A stage that left

on the 5th of January never arrived at it's Ft. Davis destination as

scheduled. (Ft. Davis, one mile NE on SH 17, was established by

Lieutenant Colonel Washington Seawell on the 7th of October in 1854

intended to protect Presidio Del Norte from Indian raids.) *f-2

The next stage, leaving the 7th, found the body of the driver

between Eagle Springs and Van Horn's Well. He was mutilated by hostile

Indians. A man by the name of John Turner was post guide at Ft. Davis

during the 1870 census two years later.

The body of Judge Hubbell of El Paso, and the empty stage, was

found by a wagontrain going through Bass Canyon at a later date. This

stagecoach was found the same day as the driver's body, a little further

down the road. The driver being name of Bass was reason for naming of

Bass Canyon. And this was the scene of numerous Indian raids and

massacres. (*a-10)

Because Sam was defiant and continually played hooky, from school

where the Bass children were placed with their cousins, Uncle Dave

decided to let Sam work in his sawmill. He decided working in Juliet

would help do away with Sam's idle daytime hours. To Uncle Dave's

disappointment, Sam learned to play poker with the other workers during

FOOTNOTES:(*f-2) Dooley and Dooley 'Why Stop' 2nd Edition page#174

(*a-10)?

________________________________________________________________________

the slow times at the mill. He highly disapproved of gambling of any

kind. Sam was head strong, having ideas of his own. It was time for

him to get off from under the thumb of his uncle and start a life of his

own. (Or so Sam thought!)

Just prior to reaching the age of eighteen Sam left the

Sheeks house and headed to St. Louis by train. Sam's Uncle Dave was

released of any further responsibility towards Sam by the local circuit

court at the elder's request.

Sam, as many yet today, headed west via the 'Gateway to the

West'. Sam floated down the Missouri River to Rosedale, Mississippi

where he spent a year working and saving money, to continue his trip

west. It hadn't taken him long to find a job, because of his experience

working for his uncle. Sam learned cards at his uncle's saw mill, but

perfected his game by practicing with the other employees of the

Charles' Mill in Rosedale and became proficient with a pistol. (*b-1)

Sam also learned to shoot a six shooter with great accuracy.

This was an acquired skill to be used only for protection.

At the end of his first anniversary of being on his own he'd

saved enough to buy himself a horse and saddle with a little left over

for needs while traveling.

FOOTNOTE:(*b-1) Webb, Walter Prescott 'The Texas Rangers' pg.#371-72

University of Texas Press 1935

________________________________________________________________________

He joined up with the Mayes family who were on their way to

Denton County, Texas. (One of the Mayes' boys eventually joined Sam and

his gang.) They reached Texas by way of Arkansas and the Red River.

According to W.P. Webb in The Texas Rangers, oxen used to pull

wagons on the trail west often had to be slaughtered for food when

supplies ran low. This the pioneers did for survival even though their

oxen held enough high regard to be named such names as- Tom, Dick, or

Sam. (*a-6)

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Copyright © 1999 Linda Marie Brainard
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