Charlie Bassett (lawman)
| Charlie Bassett | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Charles E. "Charlie" Bassett October 30, 1847 New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 5, 1896 (aged 48) Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Lawman and saloon owner |
| Known for | One of the founders of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City; first sheriff of Ford County, Kansas; Dodge City marshal |
Charles E. "Charlie" Bassett (October 30, 1847 – January 5, 1896) was a lawman and saloon owner in the American Old West in Dodge City. He was one of the founders of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, served as the first sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, as well as city marshal of Dodge City. His deputies included Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson.
Charles E. Bassett was born on October 30, 1847, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was the fourth of six children born to Benjamin and Julia (Norton) Bassett. Charlie was in his late teens when his parents separated, and he elected to live with his father in Philadelphia.
On February 14, 1865, Bassett enlisted in the Union Army at Frankford, Pennsylvania (now a part of Philadelphia). He received a $100 bounty for signing on for one year as a private in Company I of the 213th Pennsylvania Infantry, a volunteer regiment. Bassett was mustered out of his volunteer regiment in Washington, D.C., on November 18, 1865. He served a little more than nine months, not for the year he had signed. This was most likely the result of an Army cutback after Lee's surrender in April.
Charles E. Bassett spent the period between late 1865 and early 1873 drifting around the West, serving various stints as a miner, bartender, and buffalo hunter. He was most likely in the neighborhood of what would become Dodge City, Kansas, when his father, Benjamin Bassett died in Philadelphia on January 2, 1872.
Charlie Bassett opened the original Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City in late 1872 in partnership with Alfred J. Peacock. Eventually, Bassett and Peacock sold the Long Branch. The saloon changed hands several times until Luke Short became one of the owners. Short's partnership in the Long Branch would cause one of the high points of Bassett's life in 1883.
On June 5, 1873, the citizens of Ford County, Kansas, chose Charles E. Bassett as their first sheriff. His headquarters were in Dodge City. Bassett was re-elected twice, serving until 1878. On September 18, 1877, Sam Bass and his gang robbed a Union Pacific train of $60,000 at Big Springs, Nebraska. The bandits were reported in Kansas and Sheriff Bassett went out after them. Bassett's posse included Bat Masterson and John Joshua Webb. The group was unsuccessful in their pursuit of the train robbers. By Kansas law, Charles E. Bassett could not seek a third successive term as sheriff of Ford County. On November 6, 1877, Bat Masterson was elected as the second sheriff of Ford County. Masterson was officially sworn in as sheriff on January 14, 1878. One of the new sheriff's first acts was to appoint Charlie Bassett as his under-sheriff. This amounted to a role reversal, since Bat had been serving as Bassett's under-sheriff.
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