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For the successor gang in Red Dead Redemption, see Dutch's Gang.

A gang of criminals, dissidents and free-thinkers who have chosen to reject a corrupt system of power and live instead by their own code. As the price on their heads continues to grow, so does the struggle to remain free.
Rockstar Games.[1]

The Van der Linde gang (also referred to as Dutch's Boys)[2] is an outlaw gang featured in Red Dead Redemption 2 as the main protagonist faction. It is also mentioned in Red Dead Redemption, alongside the appearances of several of its former members.

History[]

Background[]

Van der Linde gang - Redemption 2 - Originals - Picture

Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews, the founders and leaders of the Van der Linde gang.

I got a saying, my friend... we shoot fellers as need shooting... save fellers as need saving... and feed 'em as need feeding. We're gonna find out what you need.
Dutch van der Linde to Kieran Duffy in "Old Friends"

The gang's roots lie in a fateful meeting between two petty hustlers, Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews, around the mid-1870s.[3] Van der Linde and Matthews met each other at a campfire on the road to Chicago. Hosea attempted to con and rob Dutch, but realized that Dutch had done the same and stolen from him in the meantime. They both saw the skill that the other had and laughed, deciding to team up and face the future together. The Van der Linde gang was thus founded. Around this same time, Hosea met a woman named Bessie, who would eventually become his wife.

Dutch convinced Hosea, who described himself as a "degenerate", that they could find redemption from their sinful lives by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, similar to the medieval tale of Robin Hood. Dutch had an anarchistic vision of a world without government or corporate interference, a "savage utopia" free from the pressures and intolerance of civilization. He saw himself as a revolutionary and thought that the gang could be an example to others who would follow their lead. They began pulling tricks and ripping off people they believed deserved it the most.

The pair found themselves in the town of Kettering, Ohio, where they began conning several people. They posed as international merchants, conning twelve locals into buying $300 worth of shares into a fictional Portuguese shipping company. They were eventually discovered and arrested by Sheriff Carmichael. On March 9, 1877, the pair escaped from their cell by unknown means, tying up and robbing the sheriff in the process.[4]

Hosea, Dutch, and Arthur

The old guard, Hosea, Dutch, and Arthur.

Later that year, the pair stumbled across a fourteen-year-old orphan named Arthur Morgan. He was an unruly child, and they decided to take him under their wing, teaching him to read, write, shoot and other useful skills. Around this same time, Dutch became romantically involved with a woman named Susan Grimshaw, who also became a member of the gang. The gang acted as a family, caring for each other. At some point, the gang acquired a pet dog named Copper, who Arthur grew close to and took care of.[5]

During the early years of the gang, Hosea and his wife tried to leave the gang and go straight. But, Hosea slowly drifted back to the gang, unable to fight against his own criminal nature. Bessie understood his struggle and stuck by him. Dutch ended his relationship with Susan, but she still remained in the gang. Dutch, at some point later, became romantically involved with a woman named Annabelle.

In 1885, Dutch came across a group of Illinois homesteaders preparing to hang a twelve year-old boy for stealing from them. He saved the child, named John Marston, and brought him into the gang, teaching him to read and shoot just as he had done with Arthur. Arthur and John became like brothers, and Dutch often read to them from books by Evelyn Miller and Waldo Emerson,[6] even though most of the concepts went over the young boys' heads. Dutch filled the minds of the boys with his anarchistic worldviews, instilling them with distrust and hatred for the government. He told them that America was designed to produce apathy in people. He would preach that revenge was a fool's game and that they should never kill in cold blood. Over the years, many members of the gang came to believe that John and Arthur were Dutch's favorites as he considers them as his sons, much to the envy of others.

In 1887, the gang committed its first major bank robbery. At 2 o'clock, Hosea, Dutch, and the now young-adult Arthur burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt. The gang made off with $5,000 in gold. After the robbery, they lingered in town, going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money, still going with the 'Robin Hood' ideals of Dutch. It was around this time (likely because of this bank robbery) that Dutch became a wanted man with a price on his head.[7] Between 1887 and 1899, the gang carried out roughly 37 different bank robberies in various locations around the country.[8]

At one point in the past, Dutch and Colm O'Driscoll, the leader of the rival gang the O'Driscoll Boys, had an uneasy truce between them. Dutch disliked how Colm treated the members of his gang as disposable while Colm mocked Dutch for his philosophies about trying to make a "better world". Though the exact reason is unknown, Dutch broke the truce when he killed Colm's brother. In retaliation, Colm killed Dutch's lover, Annabelle - an event which greatly angered and devastated him. These events led to a blood feud between the two gangs which would last for years.

During the early beginnings of the gang, they truly did help people in need and tried to make a difference. Dutch even once scolded Arthur for stealing from a poor man's house, saying that it made them no better than the people they were fighting against. As the years went on, Dutch gradually became disillusioned with society as the world around him grew more and more organized and "civilized", with increasing government centralization continuing to encroach on his idea of freedom. The acts of charity, giving money to the poor and helping others, slowly faded away, and the gang became fully dedicated to enforcing Dutch's anarchistic ideals and securing their own survival. Dutch even allowed the gang to become involved in loansharking through Leopold Strauss, which often targeted the type of lower class people the gang previously fought for. Instead of just thieving, the gang also began killing their opponents, much to Hosea's dismay. Despite his objections, Hosea stuck around out of loyalty to Dutch, though his faith in their "mission" gradually declined and eventually vanished over the years.

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A group photo of the gang.

For just over a decade, following the gang's first bank robbery in 1887 and the gang's arrival in Montana during 1898, they travelled all across the frontier and recruited almost a dozen and a half new members, usually people who wished/were forced to escape and live away from the encroaching borders of modern society. It is unclear in exactly when, and in what order, these people joined, but they included:

  • Mac Callander and Davey Callander, two brothers described as "a vicious pair of bastards" who served as gunmen for the gang.
  • Karen Jones, a scam artist and trigger woman with a large love of alcohol.
  • Mary-Beth Gaskill, a street urchin turned petty criminal who was taken in by the gang to protect her from a man pursing her, after she was caught pick-pocketing him.
  • Tilly Jackson, a member of the Foreman Brothers gang, who had recently fled them due to killing a cousin of Anthony Foreman, the gang's leader. She was alone and sleeping rough until she met Dutch, who took her in and taught her to read, just as he had done for Morgan and Marston.
  • Simon Pearson, a former Navy chef who was rescued by Dutch from other loan-sharks, whose cooking abilities earned him a similar role within the gang's camp.
  • Orville Swanson, a reverend with both severe alcoholism and morphine addiction who saved Dutch's life in an unknown incident, and as thanks was offered a permanent place with the gang.
  • Uncle, a petty thief and drunk, known only by his nickname, Uncle. His laid-back nature and repeated excuse-making earned him reputation as a freeloader, similar to what Swanson would turn out to be, but he was allowed to stay due to his entertaining personality and the fact he could do what was needed when push came to shove.
  • Sean MacGuire, a young Irishman who attempted to rob Dutch and Hosea after following them out of a bar in North Elizabeth, believing them to be easy marks. He was stunned when the pair revealed they had been on to him since the beginning, emptying his revolver without his knowledge before they had even left the bar; and rather than killing him, the two men suggested Sean should join them instead.
  • Molly O'Shea, an Irishwoman who abandoned her rich family in search of adventure and romance; it's unclear how she joined the gang, but she later became Dutch's lover.
  • Josiah Trelawny, an Englishman and an eccentric con artist who formed an association with the gang, acting as an informant for Dutch on both large and small scale heist opportunities. Due to his line of work he was allowed to come and go from the gang as he pleased, never becoming directly involved with most of the other members besides Dutch himself.
  • At some point, prior to Tilly joining, there was an another unnamed member who betrayed the gang, but he was later caught and killed in the gang's camp for it.

In 1893, a US Army veteran named Bill Williamson, who had recently received a dishonorable discharge on the grounds of "deviancy", drunkenly attempted to rob Dutch. However, Dutch simply laughed at him, which infuriated Williamson at first. Sensing the struggles of his would-be robber, Dutch decided to help Williamson by bringing him into the gang, giving him a newfound purpose and reason to live. Though Bill lacked conventional intelligence, he made up for it with his unwavering loyalty to the gang, more so to Dutch himself, whom he felt greatly indebted to.

In 1894, Uncle introduced the gang to a prostitute named Abigail Roberts, who joined the gang and had sexual relations with several of the gang's male members. Abigail eventually formed a more romantic relationship with John, and soon after, showed signs of being pregnant. John refused to accept responsibility for the child, insisting that it may not even be his. Due to his father's lack of commitment, the baby, Jack, was collectively raised by the rest of the gang during his first year of upbringing. As he grew older, Jack came to view many of the gang's members as his "aunts" and "uncles" due to the family-like environment.

In 1895, while stealing chickens, Dutch ran into a young Mexican exile named Javier Escuella, who also happened to be in the process of stealing said chickens. Escuella was starving and alone, so Dutch took him into the gang, feeding and clothing him. Javier, a former revolutionary wanted for the murder of a powerful military official, found a strong affinity towards the gang's philosophy and began to idolize Dutch himself; like Bill, his loyalty to Dutch himself became near unbreakable. Javier would go on to prove himself as one of the gang's most skilled gunmen.

By 1896, when young Jack Marston had reached just over a year old, John left the gang, abandoning his son in the process. His actions provoked notable animosity from Arthur, who saw it as both an act of betrayal towards the gang and cowardice in John's responsibility as a father.

The following year, 1897, John returned to the gang and accepted his share of responsibility for the baby boy. Arthur never truly forgave him for his actions, and their relationship was further worsened by Arthur believing John was forgiven far too quickly by the rest of the gang, especially Dutch, which Arthur viewed as an act of pure favoritism. As a result, the rift between the two men continued to steadily grow over the next few years.

By 1898, the gang found itself in Montana. Hosea caught several large salmon, planning a feast for the whole camp until Copper, Arthur's dog, found and ate the fish. Sometime after this, Copper passed away. After a fire and some trouble up in the north, the gang travelled south and east, taking a slow and tortuous trail down through the Northern Grizzlies to throw off anyone tracking them. They then spent several months in the wilderness. During the winter, they stuck mostly to the western foothills of the mountain. Food was plentiful, and for a time, the gang lived in peace. Dutch eventually got a lead on some land for the gang to buy for their "savage utopia", but it either did not match up to Dutch's criteria or he grew suspicious that law enforcement was watching them and the gang began wandering again.

While traversing the Grizzlies, the gang picked up four new members, the first of which were Lenny Summers and Charles Smith. Lenny was only in his mid-teens at the time, on the run for the murder of his father's own killers. Hosea was cautious about letting Lenny join to begin with, but the two grew to mutually respect each other and became good friends. Lenny was literate and reasonably well-educated, even before joining the gang, and tried to use his knowledge to teach other members like Sean how to read. Charles was a drifter used to the woodsman lifestyle and had moved between other criminal gangs often, but was surprised by how fairly Dutch treated him despite his race and decided to stick around, feeling as though he had found a group he belonged in. Sometime later, the gang came across Jenny Kirk, a young woman found abandoned on the roadside, and took her in. Lenny developed feelings for her, which was known to several other members like Arthur, but he never had the chance to act upon them due to how short Jenny's time with the gang would become. The last recruited in the Grizzlies, and the most recent member, was Micah Bell. He was a hot-headed career outlaw who stepped in and saved Dutch's life at somewhere named Crenshaw Hill, after a deal arranged by the latter to sell some stolen gold to the locals went sour, ending in an offer by Dutch to join them as thanks.

By 1899, the gang arrived in the state of West Elizabeth and decided to camp outside the town of Blackwater, a town undergoing the process of industrialization. Eventually, Micah convinced Dutch to rob a riverboat carrying money from the bank. Arthur and Hosea protested, believing the risks involved to be too great and had their own lead on a profitable job. Despite this, Dutch thought the heist would be worth the risk and went ahead with it. They scoped out several safe spots in the state of New Austin for the gang to use as a fallback after the robbery.

The heist did not go as planned, with Pinkerton agents arriving unexpectedly fast, and chaos ensued. In the heat of the moment, spurred on by Micah, Dutch brutally shot an innocent young mother named Heidi McCourt in the head, though the true circumstances and reasoning for the killing remain hazy. The resulting standoff between the gang and the Pinkertons lead to Mac, John, Davey and Jenny all being wounded by gunfire. The latter three were able to escape with the rest of the gang, but only John's injuries were fairly minor, and the other two were left in critical condition. Injured Mac was separated from the rest of the gang and supposedly did not make it very far. He was detained by Pinkerton Agent Andrew Milton, on the verge of death, and questioned about the gang. However, Mac refused to tell him anything, and was killed by the agent personally, who would then go on to sarcastically describe it as a "mercy killing". Sean was also left behind, but was able to escape Blackwater himself uninjured. However, in the end, he was eventually captured by bounty hunters who then planned to sell him to the Pinkertons.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]

Colter Chapter[]

They can pummel us as hard as they like, but we will always get back up and fight. That's who we are. Outlaws for life, fellers.
Dutch van der Linde in Old Friends

After escaping from the disastrous Blackwater heist, the gang fled to the northern state of Ambarino to evade law enforcement. The game opens with the gang being high up in the mountains of north Ambarino. Despite it being May, they become caught in a massive blizzard, which inadvertently helps stall the Pinkertons trailing them. Not wanting any more surprises, Dutch sends John and Micah to scout ahead. Along the way, Jenny, then Davey, succumb to their wounds sustained during the previous heist. Arthur discovers an abandoned mining camp, Colter, for the gang to take shelter in. After enduring the storm and the deaths of their comrades, the morale of the gang is at an all-time low. Dutch gives a speech, asking the gang to keep their faith in him and to make camp for a few days until the storm passes. He assures them that they will survive and be able to outrun the law enforcement tracking them.

He then takes off to go look for John and Micah with Arthur. Arthur questions Dutch on what exactly happened on the boat in Blackwater, but Dutch is not forthcoming with answers. While out searching, they come across Micah, who has found a homestead. The trio travels to the homestead to ask for supplies but is surprised to discover it is occupied by the O'Driscoll Boys. A gunfight breaks out, which results in the deaths of the occupying O'Driscolls. After looting the ranch, Arthur gets attacked by an O'Driscoll who he easily overpowers. He then interrogates him about where his gang is and what they are doing up in the mountains. He learns that they are planning a train heist nearby using dynamite.

Micah discovers Sadie Adler in the cellar, hiding from the O'Driscolls who murdered her husband and took over her homestead. Mistaking her for an O'Driscoll, a struggle ensues between her and Micah, which causes him to flip a table over with a lantern on it, causing the house to catch on fire. Dutch manages to defuse the situation and quickly escorts Sadie to safety. He offers to bring her with them back to camp, an offer which she accepts.

The next day, Abigail and several others become concerned that John has not returned yet and urge Arthur and Javier to go out looking for him. Javier is optimistic that they will find him, but Arthur believes that Marston has abandoned the gang again. After scaling the mountain, they come across John badly injured from a wolf attack. Narrowly escaping a second wolf attack, they bring John back to Colter.

Dutch and Hosea begin arguing about their current situation. Hosea is doubtful of Dutch's plan, while Dutch insists that they just need to wait out the storm, go back to Blackwater and collect the money, make even more money, and then head back out west. Hosea points out that they have been heading east, the exact opposite direction, to which Dutch replies with "For now... for now". Dutch also insists that they send someone back to the Adler Ranch to bury Jake Adler, Sadie's late husband.

Arthur and Charles provide the camp with food after a hunting trip, much to the delight of Pearson. A fight breaks out between Micah and Bill, which is interrupted by Dutch, who rallies the gang together to assault an O'Driscoll camp. Arthur objects, reminding Dutch that revenge is a fool's game, but Dutch states that he wants to steal their score, not get revenge, and plans to find out what he can about a train heist the O'Driscolls have planned. They arrive at the camp just as Colm is leaving. After killing everyone in the camp, they find the heist plans and some dynamite.

A few days later, Dutch gathers all able-bodied members of the gang to pull off the train heist, to which Hosea objects, warning that the target of the heist, Leviticus Cornwall, is a rich and influential man and thus highly dangerous. Dutch scoffs at this, urging the gang to ride on. Bill is sent ahead to set up the dynamite on the track, and Dutch asks Arthur to assist him. After setting up the detonator, the gang prepares for the arrival of the train. As it passes over the tracks, the dynamite fails to detonate, forcing Arthur, Javier, and Lenny to chase after and jump on the train. Javier falls off the train, leaving Arthur and Lenny to overpower the guards and stop the train. The rest of the gang catches up, dealing with the remainder of the guards, and forcing their way into Cornwall's personal train car. Inside, they discover a thousand dollars in bonds. Dutch leaves Arthur to clean up the scene, stating they'll leave when he gets back.

As the snow from the blizzard begins to thaw, the gang travels by caravan to the state of New Hanover. Hosea recommends camping at a location called Horseshoe Overlook. Whilst on the trail, they are watched from afar by members of the Wapiti Indian tribe. When they arrive at the campsite, Dutch gives a speech, imploring everyone to go out and earn money. They devise a cover story, that they are itinerant workers from the north who were laid off from their factory and are now searching for work down south. Miss Grimshaw and her girls begin setting up the camp as everyone begins to settle in.

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter[]

After a few weeks at Horseshoe Overlook, the gang begins to settle into their new surroundings. Leopold Strauss loans money to several people, including Chick Matthews, Mr. Wróbel, Lilly Millet, and Thomas Downes. Reverend Swanson becomes drunk at a poker game in Flatneck Station and is narrowly saved by Arthur when he stumbles onto the path of an oncoming train. Tilly, Mary-Beth, and Karen grow bored and restless at camp and convince Uncle and Arthur to take them into Valentine, the local town. While there, Mary-Beth gets a lead on a train full of rich tourists passing through Scarlett Meadows at night. Karen and Tilly attempt to rob drunk men but Tilly is discovered by her old gang member Anthony Foreman, who attempts to kidnap her before Arthur steps in to save her. Arthur then steps into the Saints Hotel to rescue Karen from her drunken attacker. Karen relays that she has found out info about the local bank, with Arthur encouraging her to continue investigating. A citizen named Jimmy Brooks recognizes Arthur, forcing him to chase him towards a cliff. Arthur then decides whether to kill him or let him live.

Bill, Javier, and Charles go to Smithfield's, the local saloon in Valentine, where they are joined by Arthur. Bill bumps into another patron, which causes a large bar fight to break out. A large man named Tommy ends up throwing Arthur through the window and out onto the street. A brutal fight ensues which Arthur eventually wins. Before landing the final blow, Arthur is interrupted by Thomas Downes, who begs him to show mercy. Arthur begrudgingly complies and sits down to rest. Dutch finds them in Valentine and reveals that he has found Josiah Trelawny. Josiah reveals that Sean is alive but being held captive by a group of bounty hunters outside Blackwater. Javier and Charles leave with Trelawny to scope out where Sean is while Bill is chastised by Dutch.

During the gang's stay, Micah gets arrested in the logging town of Strawberry while on patrol with Lenny. Dutch realizes he cannot go due to what happened in Blackwater, so he asks Arthur to go, but before he could, he needed to "calm Lenny's nerves" at the local saloon in Valentine first. This ends either in them both being arrested or waking up in the countryside. After his night of debauchery, Arthur sets out to rescue Micah, albeit reluctantly. After Micah decides to shoot up the entire town just for his "precious guns" he and Arthur part ways outside of Strawberry, with Micah refusing to go back to Dutch without a "peace offering". After a few days, Arthur proceeds to accompany Micah on his offer to rob a coach north of Strawberry and while it gets attacked by O'Driscolls. They are successful in the robbery and Micah returns to camp once more.

A few days later, Hosea and Arthur go on a hunting trip in the eastern Ambarino for a "1,000 pound" grizzly bear. After the hunt proves to be too much for the aging Matthews, they either part ways or return to camp together. Not long after, Hosea has a lead at the local ranch which leads to a stagecoach robbery and a new affiliate, Seamus, who agrees to buy stolen wagons for Arthur. While all these events unfold, Abigail wishes for young Jack to go somewhere outside of the camp, so she asks Arthur to take him fishing. While out fishing, Morgan is approached by Pinkerton Agents Milton and Edgar Ross. They offer Arthur his freedom in exchange for Dutch van der Linde. When Arthur refuses, he suggests leaving camp, but Dutch disagrees, instead suggesting they stay. Arthur is hesitant but agrees with Dutch.

After these events, John has an idea. He and Arthur would steal a herd of sheep that was coming into Valentine to be auctioned off. The job proves successful, and they take the herd to Valentine. When the duo attempt to sell the herd, the livestock manager demands 25% off the sale. The price is reduced to 18%, which Arthur gets upset about but brushes off when John and Arthur go to meet Dutch and Leopold Strauss in the local saloon. However, their casual drink goes south when Dutch is confronted by Leviticus Cornwall who takes John and Strauss hostage. A shootout soon follows with Strauss being wounded and the gang have no choice but to shoot their way out and agree to split up. After regrouping back at camp, Dutch knows they cannot stay and decides to head southeast. At first, he wants Arthur and Charles to check out an area just over the Lemoyne state line called Dewberry Creek, but less proves to be to open and the gang instead find a small clearing at the edge of Flat Iron Lake, called Clemens Point.

Clemens Point Chapter[]

We're thieves... in a world that don't want us no more.
Arthur Morgan to Dutch van der Linde

A few days after the move down south, Dutch and Arthur plan on going fishing with Hosea. Not long into the journey, they come across an arrested Trelawny, whom they eventfully free. After helping the local law with a group of criminals, and their fishing trip, they try to play the locals as deputy Sheriffs after getting the Sheriff Gray drunk. After helping the sheriff take care of the Lemoyne Raiders, the gang begins to investigate the feuding families, the Grays and Braithwaites. Arthur takes the Grays while Hosea takes the Braithwaites which leads them to believe that the families are fighting over lost gold and the gang hopes to it.

During his investigation of the Grays, Arthur comes across young Beau Gray who is romantically involved with Penelope Braithwaite which Arthur reluctantly gets involved in to find out more about the gold. After running back and forth for them the end result leads him no further to the gold but with good standing with Beau and therefore, the Grays as a whole.

After their investigation, the gang decides to offload the moonshine they stole right back to the rightful owners, for a price. After surprisingly allowing them to keep it another surprise comes when Catherine Braithwaite tells them to give it away in the Gray controlled town of Rhodes. This sets Hosea with good standing with the Braithwaites while Arthur teams up with John and Javier to steal the Braithwaites' prize horses. After the sale comes up to be little over 1/8 of what was promised, Arthur sets sights on destroying the Grays tobacco fields with Sean McGuire. This nets some money, but not as much as promised and is not leading them any closer to the gold which is beginning to look more and more made up as things progress.

During all of this, Bill plans on robbing the bank in Valentine that he feels was too good to let go. Reluctantly, Arthur joins and the heist proves to be useful as it nets in a large sum of cash for the camp and its members. After the bank job, Lenny plans his own job, robbing the Lemoyne Raiders hideout of weapons. This, like the bank job, proves fruitful as the gang now has weapons and explosives to sell and use.

Later on, Arthur and Charles go to see Trelawny about the bounty hunters and "super agents" he spoke of. While investigating his caravan, they deduce he was kidnapped by said bounty hunters and requires rescue. After saving their British friend, they all agree for Trelawny to stay at camp for safety. A few days later, after recovering from his brush with mortality, he sends Arthur to help him rob a stagecoach out past Rhodes. Like other previous heists, this proves to be good as they both walk away with money in their pockets and their new mutual friend, Alden.

Also during their stay, Sadie Adler begins to become angry with Pearson for she refuses to keep chopping vegetables. In response, Arthur takes her into town and after telling her what not to do, they leave with Sadie gaining a new outfit. On their way home, they get ambushed by the Lemoyne Raiders. After Sadie instigates the situation further and starts a shootout with them, they kill them all and return to camp with the food.

During their tenure in Scarlet Meadows, Pearson says that he ran into some O'Driscolls in town and tells the gang they wish to "parley". Fearing it to be an obvious trap, Micah and Dutch confront Colm in the Heartlands while Arthur watches over them with a rifle. However, the whole thing does prove to be a trap but for Arthur and not Dutch. They plan on holding Arthur until Dutch comes and then they turn him in and run away from the law. The plan does not come to fruition as Arthur, even while injured, manages to escape. He is then put on bed rest for a few weeks before going back out into the world.

After everything that has happened, Arthur meets Bill, Sean, and Micah in Rhodes to talk to the Grays about a protection job. The job is actually a trap and, when the gang stops in town, Sean is killed immediately and the entire town erupts in gunfire. After killing all the lawmen, only one remains. Sheriff Gray. Gray has taken Bill hostage, but is killed by Arthur, before his deputies are also killed, by Arthur and Micah. Arthur then tells Bill to bury Sean, saying "he was like an annoying little brother".

After returning to camp, Morgan is informed by Dutch that Jack has gone missing and was taken by the Braithwaites. The main members of the gang, Dutch, Arthur, Javier, Bill, Lenny, Charles, Hosea, and John go to the Braithwaite Manor in the night. This leads to an epic and bloody showdown with the Van der Linde gang vs the entire Braithwaite family (sans Penelope) which ends with the Van der Linde gang victorious. After killing her sons and nephews, the gang confronts the matriarch herself, Catherine Braithwaite. In retaliation for Jack's capture, the gang ultimately burns the mansion to the ground and leave Catherine to die with her house, after she tells them that her sons sold him to Angelo Bronte in Saint Denis.

Saint Denis Chapter[]

The morning after the Battle at Braithwaite Manor, The gang think on what to do on how to get Jack back when seemingly out of nowhere, Pinkerton Agents Milton and Ross show up and demand Dutch turn himself and in exchange, allow every member to flee and not be hunted. The gang obviously refuse and realize that with the shootout in Rhodes and now this, that they need to move, and fast. Arthur tells Dutch that he knows a place deep in the bayou called, Shady Belle. After clearing out the former "tenants", Dutch tasks Arthur with searching Saint Denis in hopes of finding Bronte.

After finding his home, Dutch, Arthur, and John walk in and demand that Bronte hand over Jack. He eventfully follows through on this after having John and Arthur clear the local cemetery of robbers. During this, Dutch receives an invitation to the mayor's party. Upon his return, the gang celebrates and party over Jack's return and their new home.

Not long after the move, Tilly is captured by the Foreman Brothers south of Rhodes, forcing Arthur and Susan Grimshaw to rescue her. During this rescue, another is missed as Kieran is captured by the O'Driscoll gang and is tortured by them for days, presumably. Following the rescue of Tilly, Arthur is taken by Dutch and Hosea to the Mayor's house with Bill to find out any information they can find. After the party proves fruitful, Arthur is given several leads including info about a riverboat heist and to help Evelyn Miller with the Natives.

Arthur, later on, meets with Trelawny in Saint Denis where they get Arthur a suit and proper haircut to rob the riverboat. After the heist proves fruitful and Morgan eventfully helps Miller with the Natives, by invading Cornwall Kerosene & Tar with Eagle Flies he meets with Dutch to rob the trolley station, but their planning is cut short when a headless Kieran comes into camp on horseback. Following this, a large gun battle ensues between the Van der Linde gang and the O'Driscolls with the former shining victorious. This event is what eventually pushes Dutch to rob the station and fast. Later on, in Saint Denis, Dutch, Lenny, and Arthur rob the station, which ends up sour for as Bronte lied and the station had little to no money. After an escape that ended with crashing a trolley car and Dutch banging his head badly, they now set their sights on Bronte and plan to rob the bank in Saint Denis.

After meeting with a local fisherman, Thomas in Lagras, Dutch takes Arthur with him to make a deal for Thomas to float them to the dock behind Bronte's mansion. After helping Thomas and his friend Jules with a gator problem, they are ready to hit Bronte for the trolley and to hit the bank. The following evening, the gang prepare for the raid on the Bronte Estate. After clearing all his hired guns and bodyguards they find him, hiding in a bathtub. After shooting their way out and back to the boat, Dutch grows angry with Bronte after the latter insults him and calls his men fools for not taking his money. After enough belittlement, Dutch snaps and drowns Bronte, before throwing him overboard to be consumed by an alligator. After such a traumatic event, to say the least, John angrily asks Dutch what part of his books talk about feeding someone to an alligator. Dutch brushes off the event as "something that needed to be done" and "it is either us or him". After this, the gang make plans to rob Lemoyne National Bank.

Now with Bronte out of the picture and the gang ready to leave, they wait until morning and stage the robbery. However, the robbery goes south when Pinkertons capture Hosea and Abigail and hold them hostage while having the whole bank surrounded. Abigail manages to slip away while Hosea is shot dead in the streets of Saint Denis by Agent Milton, with Dutch and the gang watching in horror. After blowing a hole in the wall and escaping to the roof, John is arrested and Lenny is killed by Pinkertons. After finding shelter in an abandoned apartment, the gang devises a plan to wait until nightfall and sneak aboard a boat. Dutch, Arthur, Micah, Bill, Javier, and Charles sneak towards the docks, where Charles distracts a Pinkerton patrol, allowing the other five to get on a boat bound for Cuba.

After boarding, they cut a deal with the captain to have them go to northern Cuba and then Argentina and around the cape to Tahiti. These plans do not come to fruition as a storm sinks the ship and causes everyone to run for safety, with the Van der Linde gang landing on the island of Guarma.

Guarma Chapter[]

Dutch, Arthur, Micah, Bill, and Javier end up on the island of Guarma. After Arthur is re-united with the other four, they are promptly arrested by the local military, although they manage to escape when the rebel militia attacks the soldiers - except for Javier, who is shot in the leg while trying to escape and captured. Dutch and Arthur manage to rescue Javier and eventually escape the island after finding a ship captain who they can trust to smuggle them out, sinking a Cuban warship and eliminating both Alberto Fussar and Levi Simon.

John, meanwhile, is incarcerated in Sisika Penitentiary, where he is forced to work in a chain gang. The authorities also make plans to have him hanged.

The rest of the gang evacuate Shady Belle and relocate to Lakay. Charles and Sadie are the main two that organise the gang‘s evacuation, and Sadie deposits a letter from “Caroline” in Shady Belle, which would be crucial for re-uniting the gang. Abigail says that the remaining gang managed to steal the bodies of Hosea and Lenny from the morgue, where they buried the two in Bluewater Marsh, Lemoyne.

Beaver Hollow Chapter[]

After returning from Guarma, Arthur becomes increasingly unwell and is later diagnosed with tuberculosis. In addition, Dutch's sanity has deteriorated considerably and he becomes more violent, paranoid and influenced by Micah, much to Arthur's dismay. With the gang re-united at Lakay, they immediately get off to a bad start as the camp is attacked by Pinkertons. After narrowly managing to repel the attack, the Gang need to relocate and since they can't go much farther east they have to head north. Dutch has Arthur and Charles scout Beaver Hollow, an old cave inhabited by The Murfree Brood. After clearing the caves and setting up camp, the gang run into Molly O'Shea, drunk and claiming she ratted out the gang to the Pinkertons. She is then promptly killed by Susan Grimshaw with a shotgun.

Later, in Saint Denis, Sadie hatches a plan for Arthur to fly above Sisika Penitentiary in a hot air balloon to scope out the place to break out John later on. After getting the pilot killed and being chased by O'Driscolls through Roanoke Ridge they fight their way to a riverbank after crashing the balloon and formulate a plan to free John. They later meet at Copperhead Landing just west of the island, Arthur sees Abigail and Sadie arguing and after finishing the argument for them, he and Sadie go in and rescue him. After a hostage situation turned shootout ensues, they escape Sisika and head for Beaver Hollow, where they are confronted by an angry Dutch and a surprisingly happy Micah. Arthur watches in shock as Dutch screams at him, John and Sadie for their actions.

From this point on, the atmosphere at the camp had declined dramatically and many gang members lost trust in each other. There was also a feeling among everyone that there was a traitor, fueling the feeling of tension within the camp. Two sides had began to develop, with those who were staunchly loyal to Dutch such as Bill, Javier and Micah being deeply suspicious of the "doubters" such as Arthur, Charles, Sadie and John, who began to feel that Dutch could no longer be trusted due to the decline in his mental state. Even most of the less high-profile members such as Pearson and Mary-Beth (who stayed neutral) began to feel the effects of the internal divisions, as well as Karen, who spent the entirety of her time drinking. Morale among everyone had reached a new low.

After zoning out, Arthur is informed to go to Annesburg to meet Dutch and Micah. Although hesitant, he obliges and, like almost all of Dutch's plans, ends in a shootout after Dutch executes Cornwall in cold blood. The shootout leaves the gang with information on Cornwall's refinery. With this new information, Dutch formulates a plan to start a war between the army and the natives to be a distraction so they can get a boat and leave. Micah, on the other hand, is planning on Arthur and Bill to steal a wagon of Dynamite in Van Horn coming from Annesburg to Saint Denis. The plan goes successfully with the exception of Van Horn on lock down due to the commotion and Dutch plans on using the TNT to blow up Bacchus Bridge.

Dutch on the other hand helps Eagle Flies steal back the Wapiti Indians' horses and later uses some leftover TNT to set a "humiliation" to the US Army by trapping them in a valley. These plans only partly work with the former leading to rising conflict with the US Army and the ladder is what causes Eagle Flies to be captured. In the middle of all of this Arthur's existential crisis hits it peak with him telling John to leave while the gang slowly tears itself apart while blowing up the bridge. And if the player has done both of Strauss's loan shark missions in Beaver Hollow, then Arthur will feel remorse for his actions and kick Strauss out of the camp. Also, if the player so chooses, Arthur goes to Wapiti to try and help the chief Rains Fall who only wants peace, while his son wants war. After trying to help Morgan with his illness, Arthur tries to help Captain Monroe, again at the players choice. After these errands, Arthur sees Trelawny in camp with his bags packed and tells him to leave now, after this he agrees to meet with Colonel Henry Favours and Captain Lyndon Monroe on the rising conflict. Unsurprisingly, the meeting turns into a shootout with the loss of countless Army lives and retirement of Monroe. Depending if Arthur met Sister Calderon he will talk to either her or Reverend Swanson and, depending on his honor will be given an uplifting and heartfelt speech about how he doing good and is trying to help people or that he is still a bad person but tries to make up for it. No matter what choice is made, Reverend Swanson still leaves the gang.

Following these events, Arthur visits Rains Fall again and is informed that he is held at Fort Wallace, Arthur goes with Charles despite Rains Fall's objections. They wait until nightfall all the while talking about Arthur's sickness and imminent demise with Charles reassuring Arthur that he now has a choice on whether he will die a good man or not. After scouting, Morgan, and Smith break in silently and find Eagle Flies, but the Army is soon alerted and the trio must escape to the river where Charles has two boats on standby. After the lengthy shootout, they reach a safe spot where they talk about what to do next. Eagle Flies wants revenge but Charles tells him it is futile and that it is not what his father wants. Eagle Flies rebels but cannot do anything until his wounds heal. Arthur, sick and dying sits on a rock and thinks about the future for him and the gang.

Back at camp, Dutch plans a raid on a train when Eagle Flies rides in and makes it clear that he wants blood before being cut off by his father who pleads with his son about what he is doing to which Eagle Flies replies that his father is weak and has mistaken it for sympathy. Dutch and what's left of the gang ride after Eagle Flies with exclaiming that this is perfect and it is what they need. John, fed up with all of Dutch's "plans" sharply remarks with "What plan? What goddamn plan, Dutch?". After a slight argument ensues, the gang members are somewhat calmed by Dutch until they see a Native that has been shot and says that Eagle Flies needs help. After arriving at the plant, they find it completely in flames and ruin and under attack. The gang splits off, with Bill, Javier, John, and Dutch attacking from the front with Arthur, Charles, Sadie, and the Natives attacking from the rear and saving Eagle Flies. After saving Eagle Flies and reuniting with Dutch and the rest, Arthur and Dutch go into the refinery and find several thousand dollars worth of state bonds. After they leave the office more Army troops raid the building with Colonel Favours leading them. After trying to escape, a pipe bursts and Arthur is temporarily stunned, at this moment Dutch, who could easily grab Arthur, turns, and leaves. Arthur, helpless, lies there as an Army soldier attempts to stab him, but before he can, Eagle Flies swoops in to save him but is caught off guard by Favours and shot in the abdomen, before Favours himself is immediately shot dead by Arthur. After this the gang goes back to camp with Arthur and Charles going to Wapiti to bring Eagle Flies back to his father. On the way there, they discuss how the gang has fallen and they're nothing more than killers. By the time they reach Wapiti, Eagle Flies passes away in his father's tent with his father weeping over what has happened. Charles then decides to stay with the natives and helps them pack up and leave, this marks the end of Charles as a member of the gang.

Arthur heads back to camp where Dutch is planning a robbery on a train delivering the payroll to the US Army. Realizing that the gang was on its last legs and that tensions may boil over into a shootout, various gang members left, including Uncle, Mary-Beth, Pearson, and Karen. During the ride to Saint-Denis, Arthur and John head off to get the explosives were Arthur tells John when the robbery is over he should pack up his family and leave, believing the gang will soon fall apart. During the train robbery John gets shot and falls off the train, Dutch leaves to "rescue" John, but later says that John had died.

After the robbery, Tilly comes to Dutch telling him that the Pinkertons have kidnapped Abigail, he refuses to rescue her claiming she's a lost cause. This was the final straw for Arthur, so he and Sadie go after her but first Arthur tells Tilly to leave and make a better life for herself and then they leave to get Abigail back.

Arthur and Sadie kill all the Pinkertons but Sadie gets captured by Agent Milton. Arthur proceeds to free Abigail and Sadie, but it Milton holds him at gunpoint. He reveals to Arthur that Micah was the rat all along, and is attacked by him, resulting in a struggle between the two where Arthur, due to his terminal tuberculosis, is shown to be rapidly losing his strength. Fortunately for him, Abigail manages to break free and shoots Milton in the head, saving Arthur's life. On the ride back Arthur tells Sadie to take Abigail to Jack and Tilly were they say their last goodbyes before Arthur goes to confront Dutch.

Arthur gets to the camp, where he finds the remaining members Javier, Bill, Susan, Dutch, Micah, Joe, and Cleet packing up and preparing to move out. Arthur then reveals to everyone that Micah is a rat and a traitor, and that he has been telling the Pinkertons about their plans all along, which Micah strongly denies. Due to Arthur's accusations, a standoff begins between Arthur and Micah, along with Cleet and Joe behind Micah's back. Then, John arrives holding his wounds, saying that Dutch left him to die, to which Dutch responds by saying that he had no choice. Knowing that loyalties are beginning to be questioned, Arthur tells everyone to choose a side and that the Van der Linde gang is over.

Susan chooses to believe Arthur, and points her shotgun at Micah and tells him to put down his guns. Suddenly, Javier arrives to the standoff and announces that Pinkertons are closing in on the camp, distracting Susan and thus resulting in Micah killing her. With the tension beginning to rise, Dutch then pulls out his revolvers, demanding to know who is "with" him and who is "betraying" him. This leads to the gang uniting behind him against John and Arthur, although the arrival of Pinkertons led by Agent Ross forces the gang members to escape.

While Dutch and the others flee towards the creek, Arthur and John escape through the caves and into the woods. They then mount their horses and escape as fast as they can, being chased by Dutch, Micah, Cleet and Joe. The four pursuers get distracted by Pinkertons, which allows Arthur and John to outrun them. Shortly afterwards, the two of them have their horses shot and killed from under them and, after eliminating a handful of Pinkertons, Arthur is faced with a choice: continue to help John escape or go back to the camp to retrieve the money from Dutch’s chest which, thanks to Abigail, Arthur is able to do as he has the key.

If the player chooses to go with John: Arthur and John traverse the mountains in an attempt to lose the Pinkertons. Eventually, Arthur decides he is too exhausted and sick to go any further (due to his advanced Tuberculosis) and requests that John keeps going. John reluctantly does so as Arthur places his hat on John's head as a memento, while John tells Arthur that he is his "brother". After dispatching the last few Pinkertons to draw attention away from John, Arthur is attacked by Micah and the two engage in a fistfight. By the end of it, both men are badly beaten, and one of Micah’s revolvers comes out of its holster. An exhausted, beaten Arthur crawls towards it with the intention of killing Micah, but it is ultimately prevented from doing so by Dutch, who arrives and steps on it. Arthur tells Dutch that he gave him all he had and that John was the only one who made it. Micah, on the other hand, asks Dutch to go with him to retrieve the money. However, with the Pinkertons spotting them on the mountain and his inability to choose a side, Dutch abandons both of them.

  • If Arthur has high Honor: Micah angrily walks off, leaving Arthur at the scene. Arthur crawls on to a rock and watches one last sunrise before succumbing to his Tuberculosis.
  • If Arthur has low Honor: Micah confronts Arthur and he is not the better man, before shooting Arthur in the head with his revolver, spitting on Arthur’s corpse, and leaving.

If the player decides to go back for the money: Arthur bids John farewell and heads back to Beaver Hollow, where he retrieves a considerable amount of money from Dutch’s chest. He then leaves the cave, only to be attacked by Micah, who stabs Arthur in the side with his own knife. Arthur wrestles him off and regains his knife, while Micah draws his own; the two then engage in a knife fight.

  • If Arthur has high Honor: During the fight, Arthur blinds Micah in the left eye by slashing it with a knife, to which Micah responds by tackling Arthur and trying to stab him. This fails, partly due to Dutch arriving and breaking up the fight. After Arthur re-iterates that Micah is the rat, Dutch simply walks away, followed by Micah, who is seen taking the money that Arthur took from Dutch’s chest. Arthur eventually succumbs to his Tuberculosis, in the rays of the dawning sun.
  • If Arthur has low Honor: Arthur does not manage to slash Micah's eye during the fight, and instead loses his balance, resulting in Micah tackling him to the ground. Micah manages to stab Arthur in the chest during this struggle, before Dutch arrives and breaks up the fight. Arthur pleads Dutch to kill Micah, but Dutch abandons both of them. With Dutch gone, Micah finally finishes Arthur off by stabbing him in the back, before he also leaves.

Epilogue[]

The bloody days of the Van der Linde gang are the stuff of legend, appearing in pulp novels and even memorialized in popular song.
The legacy of the Van der Linde gang, as stated by a newspaper article in 1907

After the disbandment of the Van der Linde gang, the surviving members went their separate ways. This list encompasses their fates up until 1907, the end date of the Red Dead Redemption 2 epilogue:

  • Strauss was captured by Pinkertons sometime prior 1907, and was tortured to reveal information of the gang. Strauss, although kicked out of the gang, still remained loyal and did not reveal anything. He died in custody.
  • Micah went on to form his own gang, taking Cleet and Joe with him. His gang was very successful, and he was feared all over West Elizabeth, with a newspaper saying that his "acts of lawlessness rival that of Van der Linde himself". He also manages to recover the Blackwater heist money, with Dutch’s help, and the two temporarily team up together. In 1907, he is eventually tracked down by John, Sadie, and Charles. With Dutch’s help, John killed him in retaliation for his betrayal years prior.
  • Javier travelled back to Mexico and was reported to be living in the mountainous regions around 1907.
  • Bill’s activities following the disbandment of the gang are largely unknown, but he would eventually make his way down to New Austin at some point and form his own gang.
  • Dutch’s activities and whereabouts become shrouded in mystery and rumors. He was thought to have perished in a fire following a bungled robbery in 1906, but several sightings of him throughout the years dispute this. Dutch would briefly resurface in 1907, when he helped Micah Bell retrieve the money from Blackwater. Later that year, however, he and John Marston killed Micah on Mount Hagen, in revenge for bringing down the gang. After this, Dutch walks away and is not seen again until 1911.
  • Uncle’s whereabouts between when he left the gang and when he met John in Blackwater, in 1907, are unknown. Uncle tags along with John to Beecher's Hope, and later informs John that Charles Smith is still alive and in Saint Denis, which prompts John to collect Charles. Uncle assists John and Charles in constructing a ranch at Beecher's Hope for the Marston family to live in. He is later kidnapped and almost killed by the Skinner Brothers until he is rescued by John and Charles. He later attends the Marston's wedding and remains at Beecher's Hope with the Marston family.
  • John and his family moved to the Yukon in search of gold, hoping to raise money to buy some land. By 1907, John and his family were back in West Elizabeth, looking for work. John manages to become a ranch hand at Pronghorn Ranch, but Abigail leaves him shortly afterwards, feeling that John as unable to settle into a peaceful life following his attack on the Laramie gang. John then buys a plot of land at Beecher's Hope to convince her he’s changed and, with the help of Uncle and Charles, builds a ranch, which prompts Abigail to return to him. John later ventures to Mount Hagen with Sadie and Charles in order to to kill Micah; it is successful, as John (with Dutch’s help) kills Micah in revenge for ratting out the gang and causing Arthur’s death. He also finds the money from the Blackwater ferry at the site, and uses it to fully pay off his mortgage. John soon goes on to marry Abigail in a service attended by Charles, Sadie, and Uncle. Unknown to John, former Pinkerton Agent Edgar Ross (now the head of the Bureau of Investigation) tracks him down to his ranch.
  • Charles returned to Roanoke Ridge after learning of the gang's fate, and buried both Arthur and Susan. At some point, he became a street fighter in Saint Denis, until reuniting with John and Uncle in 1907 and helping them to build Beecher's Hope. He would go on to help Sadie and John track down and kill Micah. After John and Abigail's wedding, he presumably heads to Canada, where he had previously stated he wanted to go to start a family.
  • Sadie becomes a bounty hunter and shotgun messenger at some point prior to 1907. After helping John to get vengeance on Micah, she expresses a desire to leave the country. After attending John and Abigail's wedding, she presumably leaves the Western States to go to South America and continue her work there, an intention that she reveals in a conversation with John.
  • Mary-Beth becomes a well-known romance author under the pen name of "Leslie Dupont".
  • Tilly moved to Saint Denis, where she eventually got married to a Haitian lawyer, and the two live happily together, with her being pregnant with a second child.
  • Karen is speculated to have drunk herself to death, from a letter written by Tilly Jackson in 1907.
  • Trelawny presumably returned to his family in Saint Denis. Although he has a happy life there, he would often disappear on his family for long periods of time just like he did with the gang.
  • Reverend Swanson went on to lead a large congregation in New York by 1907, as seen in a newspaper.
  • Pearson moved to Rhodes and subsequently ran the Rhodes general store. When John visits Pearson in his shop, he mentions that he is now married.

After its disbandment, the memory of the Van der Linde gang among society began to become romanticized, along with most other aspects of the Old West. By 1907, the gang's history and exploits became the subject of folk songs and pulp novels.[9]

Events of Red Dead Redemption[]

Four years later, in 1911, John's family is kidnapped by Bureau of Investigation Agents Ross and Archer Fordham, in an effort to coerce John into hunting down the last few active members of the Van der Linde gang. The Bureau is working on behalf of Nate Johns, a rich politician running for governor, who promised to reduce crime. John takes a train to New Austin, where he confronts Bill Williamson directly at Fort Mercer. He attempts to appeal to his former brother, but Bill resents John and has him shot and left for dead by one of his lieutenants. Rescued by local rancher Bonnie MacFarlane, John later assembled a ragtag group of lawmen and other characters to penetrate the fort, but Williamson managed to escape in the climactic shootout and fled across the border to Nuevo Paraíso.

Following the trail, Marston found himself embroiled in the chaotic Mexican Revolution of 1911, assisting with numerous military operations for the provincial military government in order to coerce Colonel Allende into helping find Williamson and Escuella, the latter of whom was revealed to be in the area shortly after John arrived. After his betrayal and near-execution by Allende's enforcer Vincente de Santa, John discovers that both outlaws had been given shelter by Allende before he arrived, and so began working with rebel leader Abraham Reyes to bring Williamson and Escuella out of hiding by toppling the local government. Marston joins up with Reyes' rebel army in a raid on El Presidio where Escuella is taken down and delivered to the Bureau. In a subsequent assault on the colonel's palace in Escalera, Williamson and Allende are both cornered and killed.

Upon delivering Javier Escuella to Agents Ross and Fordham, John learns that Dutch van der Linde had resurfaced in West Elizabeth with an army of disgruntled young natives. After lengthy preparation and numerous close encounters with Dutch himself, Marston leads an assault on Dutch's hideout of Cochinay in Tall Trees with the help of the Bureau and US Army. In the climactic final confrontation, Dutch throws himself from the mountain cliffs, electing to commit suicide over being captured or shot, thus putting an end to his decades-long crime spree.

Some time after Dutch's death, John Marston and Uncle are killed by a joint Bureau-Army attack on the Marston ranch. Abigail would later pass away from unknown causes in 1914. With the fates of the other members being unknown as of 1914, this leaves Jack Marston as the only known active surviving member of the Van der Linde gang.

Members[]

The following are members who served among the gang's ranks from its formation to its eventual demise during the events of 1899. Characters are stated as alive until sources say otherwise.

Full Members[]

Member Role Mount Tenure Status
Dutch van der Linde Co-founder The Count c. mid-1870s - c. 1899 Deceased
Leader
Hosea Matthews Co-founder Silver Dollar c. mid-1870s - c. 1899 Deceased
Second-in-Command
Conman
Grifter
Arthur Morgan Lead Enforcer Boadicea (Pre-Colter) c. 1877 - c. 1899 Deceased
Debt Collector O'Driscoll horse (Colter)
Gunman Player choice
Buell (possible)
John Marston Gunman Old Boy (1899) c. 1885 - c. 1899 Deceased
Rachel (1907)
Player choice
Buell (possible)
Javier Escuella Gunman Boaz c. 1895 - c. 1899 Deceased
Bill Williamson Gunman Brown Jack c. 1893 - c. 1899 Deceased
Micah Bell Gunman Baylock c. 1898 - c. 1899 Deceased
Charles Smith Gunman Taima (1899) c. 1898 - c. 1899 Alive
Hunter Falmouth (1907)
Sean MacGuire Gunman Ennis unknown - c. 1899 Deceased
Lenny Summers Gunman Maggie c. 1898 - c. 1899 Deceased
Sadie Adler Gunwoman Bob (1899) c. 1899 Alive
Hera (1907)
Karen Jones Gunwoman Old Belle unknown - c. 1899 Unknown, presumed deceased
Handmaid
Tilly Jackson Handmaid Tennessee Walker unknown - c. 1899 Alive
Mary-Beth Gaskill Handmaid Tennessee Walker unknown - c. 1899 Alive
Thief
Uncle Thief Nell II (1899) unknown - c. 1899 Deceased
Nell IV (1907)
Abigail Roberts Prostitute (Formerly) Red Roan Tennessee Walker (1907) c. 1894 - c. 1899 Deceased
Thief
Susan Grimshaw Camp Administrator None unknown - c. 1899 Deceased
Simon Pearson Camp Butcher None unknown - c. 1899 Alive
Camp Cook
Leopold Strauss Bookkeeper Morgan Unknown - c. 1899 Deceased
Accountant Tennessee Walker
Loan Shark
Josiah Trelawny Conman Gwydion unknown - c. 1899 Alive
Orville Swanson Priest None unknown - c. 1899 Alive
Kieran Duffy Stable Boy Branwen c. 1899 Deceased
Molly O'Shea Dutch’s lover None unknown - c. 1899 Deceased
Davey Callander Unknown Unknown unknown - c. May 1899 Deceased
Mac Callander Unknown Unknown unknown - c. May 1899 Deceased
Jenny Kirk Unknown Unknown c. 1898 - May 1899 Deceased
Annabelle Dutch's former lover Unknown Unknown Deceased
Bessie Matthews Hosea's wife Unknown Unknown Deceased
Unknown Male[10] Former Member (Traitor) Unknown Unknown Deceased

Associates[]

Associate Description Status
Jack Marston Child of John and Abigail, raised by the gang. Alive
Cleet Micah's associates. Deceased
Joe Deceased
Copper Former camp dog owned by Arthur.[5] Deceased
Cain The camp dog, discovered by Jack at Clemens Point. Deceased
Seamus A fence met by Arthur and Hosea.[11] Alive
Clay Davies A pair of horse fences that the gang uses on at least two occasions.[12] Alive
Clive Davies Alive
Alden Carruthers Crooked ticket-master at Rhodes Post Office, who gives Arthur tips on stagecoaches worth robbing.[13] Alive
Hector Barlow Crooked ticket-master at Strawberry Post Office, who gives Arthur tips on stagecoaches worth robbing. Alive
Leigh Gray Lawmen of Rhodes. (unwittingly; c. 1899)[14] Deceased
Archibald MacGregor Deceased
Tavish Gray The patriarch of the Gray Family of Rhodes. (c. 1899)[12] Deceased
Catherine Braithwaite The matriarch of the Braithwaite Family of Rhodes. (c. 1899) Deceased
Angelo Bronte Crime lord of Saint Denis. (c. 1899) Deceased
Thomas Boatman in Lagras. (c. 1899) Alive
Hercule Fontaine Rebel leaders in Guarma. (c. 1899) Alive
Leon Fuentes Alive
Captain C. Ship captain operating in the Caribbean. (c. 1899) Alive
Eagle Flies Son of Wapiti Chief Rains Fall (c. 1899) Deceased
George Stagecoach driver in Saint Denis (c. 1899) Alive

Trivia[]

  • Almost every member of the gang has a custom sidearm, and some even have custom longarms, with examples of the latter including John, Sadie, Bill, Lenny, Hosea, and Uncle.
  • The gang's exploits are based on those of an amalgamation of several historical Old West gangs, particularly those of the 1890s that have become prominent in American literature, television, and film. These include the Dalton Gang, the Doolin-Dalton Gang (the original Wild Bunch), and especially Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, among others. Some examples of similarities are:
    • The Daltons participated in a disastrous robbery in Coffeyville, Kansas where multiple members were killed, not unlike the Blackwater Massacre or the Saint Denis bank robbery.
    • All eleven male members of the Doolin-Dalton gang met violent deaths, and a similarly large number is ultimately true for those in the Van der Linde gang.
    • Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch pulled off a train robbery in 1899 that resembles the mission "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?", in which they used dynamite to blow open a train car. This robbery also put the real-life Pinkertons on their trail. Later on in 1899 they planned to run away to a subtropical island, and unlike the Van der Linde gang they made their getaway in 1901.
  • In the backstory, it was mentioned that Dutch and Hosea did a job in Kettering, Ohio around 1877. This is an anachronism, as the city was named after Charles F. Kettering in 1952.
  • Dutch, Hosea, Arthur, Bill, Micah, Javier, John, and Charles are the only known members with a fugitive status, or are at least the only ones still wanted by the government in 1907.
  • In the game's end credits, Cleet and Joe are not listed as members of the Van der Linde gang: They do not include those two characters in the first subsection of the part of the credits, that lists the Cast, called "The Van der Linde Gang", but instead they list them in the much longer second subsection entitled "Full Cast". Here both of them are identified as "A Hired Gunman".
  • Mary-Beth, Tilly, Grimshaw, Strauss, Abigail, Pearson, Swanson, and Molly are the only members not to have a named mount. Out of them, Grimshaw will ride a horse after chasing down Anthony Foreman in "No, No and Thrice, No", Mary-Beth and Tilly both ride Tennessee Walkers when assisting in robbery companion missions as well as when Tilly escapes with Jack, Strauss rides a Morgan or Tennessee Walker if banished from camp, Swanson would ride away on a Tennessee Walker if alerted before "Who is Not Without Sin" and Abigail will temporarily commandeer Sadie's horse Bob in Arthur's final mission.
  • Despite the black-and-white pre-release photo of the gang including Sadie, she does not obtain her signature outfit until Chapter 3 and doesn't accompany the gang on missions until Chapter 6. Sadie also never visits the photo backdrop, Smithfield's Saloon in Valentine, until the Epilogue.

Gallery[]

Promotional and Artwork[]

In-game Images[]

References[]

  1. Rockstar Games' Twitter
  2. Several newspapers and even Bill himself will sometimes refer to the gang as Dutch's Boys, despite the fact that there are several female members. Pinkerton Agents may also call out Arthur as 'one of Dutch's Boys' before shooting him if Arthur tries to get near Blackwater.
  3. Hosea states that Dutch and him met "around" 1878, but an in-game newspaper recounts a job the duo did in 1877.
  4. Newspaper clipping found in Hosea's room at Shady Belle
  5. 5.0 5.1 The New South and a picture by Arthur's bed
  6. Mentioned by John to Nigel West Dickens during extra dialogue in Red Dead Redemption
  7. Dutch states that he has had a price on his head for 13 years.
  8. Edgar Ross states that the gang robbed 40 banks. Three of these robberies are seen during the course of Red Dead Redemption 2's story.
  9. As stated in the newspaper article Notorious Bad Man Alive.
  10. After Tilly jokingly asks if Dutch would mind her killing Ms. Grimshaw, Arthur states "I think, as a general rule, Dutch likes to avoid murder within the camp. I mean, there was that one time, but he was a traitor."
  11. The Spines of America
  12. 12.0 12.1 Horse Flesh for Dinner and a companion activity with Uncle.
  13. Friends in Very Low Places
  14. American Distillation

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