Dutch's Gang

Dutch's Gang is a major outlaw gang in Red Dead Redemption, based in West Elizabeth and led by the dangerously charismatic Dutch van der Linde.

The game refers to two distinct "Dutch's Gangs": the original "Old Gang" in which John Marston, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuella ran before the start of the game; and the gang active at the time the game is set (1911 onwards) which is made up of mostly Native Americans.

The "Old Gang"
Dutch's "Old Gang" consisted of, at least, Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, John Marston and Abigail Marston, as well as Dutch himself. There may have been other unnamed members. The gang was notorious and feared across West Elizabeth, committing murders and robbing banks, although apparently (if Marston's in-game comments are to be believed) giving much of the money they stole to the poor. Over the years they robbed over forty banks - at one point Marston jovially comments, "they told us there was a prize when we got to fifty."

Dutch van der Linde seems to have been almost a father-figure to the gang; certainly he is credited with taking in and raising Marston and Abigail after the two youngsters ran from their orphanage. Dutch's "Transcendentalist philosophy" and paternal approach imbued the gang with a strong sense of loyalty and cohesion, almost a family quality.

For years the gang terrorized the West until the fateful day of the botched robbery in 1906. Details are missing, but it is known that the gang tried robbing a boat. Dutch shot a woman named Heidi McCourt, which led to government agents attacking the gang. There was a shootout, and John Marston was wounded. The gang made it out of the boat, but Marston was left for dead, recovering but shortly afterwards "retiring", with Abigail, from the gang.

Not long after this, the gang split up, driven apart partly by Dutch van der Linde's increasing slide into insanity. Bill Williamson left to start his own gang, and Javier Escuella escaped from the government into Mexico, where he later became a notorious criminal. As for Dutch himself, he disappeared...

Old Gang Members (known)

 * Dutch van der Linde - Leader
 * Bill Williamson
 * Javier Escuella
 * John Marston
 * Abigail Marston
 * Jack Marston - Unofficial

The "1911 Gang" or "Dutch's Tribe"
Dutch forms the "1911 Gang", also known as Dutch's Tribe, from disaffected young natives off the nearby Reservations who hate the US Government, and the white man in general, for taking their land, destroying their way of life and forcing them into lives of squalor.

The gang's main hideout is the northern Tall Trees settlement of Cochinay; they are also known to use the abandoned logging camp at Bearclaw as a stopover. Dutch's gang can be found just about anywhere in West Elizabeth, occasionally (in singleplayer) even in Blackwater during a Nightwatch job (they are usually breaking into a building). They are also commonly seen in Manzanita Post, often playing Five Finger Fillet, occasionally riding through in a Wild Posse. Most of the criminal activity in West Elizabeth, indeed, is down to Dutch's wild boys - ambushes, bandit attack during an escort quest, the hijacking of supply wagons (common at Manzanita Post).

Dutch's Tribe Members

 * Dutch van der Linde - Leader


 * Dakota
 * Enepay
 * Hassun
 * Helaku
 * Honovi
 * Kosumi
 * Nashoba
 * Nastas - Former member; turned informant for the Bureau of Investigation

Trivia

 * Dutch's old gang may very well be inspired by Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch which was one of the last outlaw gangs and was also active during the late 1890s and early 1900s.
 * Some members of Dutch's new gang wear pieces of military uniform, most notably coats. These coats often times have chevrons on them. It is unknown why they wear these or how they got them, it is likely they looted them off dead U.S. soldiers.
 * Almost all of the members of Dutch's gang posses a red bandana or cloth, possibly given to each gang member as a memento when they joined the gang. The most notable characters who wear these pieces of cloth are: John Marston (wears his around his neck), Bill Williamson (also wears around his neck), Javier Escuella (located hanging around his belt, dangling over his left leg). Jack Marston wears a red bandana as well, probably his father's (tucked underneath his shirt). Interestingly, Dutch himself does not wear one, at least visibly.
 * This is the only well known gang (besides the Williamson Gang) that doesn't offer Marston an outfit. (Walton's Gang Outfit being exclusive to PS3).
 * Despite the members' insulting comments towards John (such as how he married Abigail, a prostitute), dialogue from Jack and Abigail suggests that the gang was fond of John's new family. Abigail states that Dutch and Bill would tell a young Jack stories of their crimes, also calling them "Uncle Dutch" and "Uncle Bill." Jack also casually asks about Dutch's and Bill's fate as if they were old friends that disappeared.