Van der Linde 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.

The Van der Linde gang (also referred to as Dutch's Boys) 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.

Background
"We shoot fellers as need shooting, save fellers as need saving, and feed 'em as need feeding."

- The mantra of the gang



The gang's roots lie in a fateful meeting between two robbers, Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews around the mid-1870s. 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 by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. 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 9th, 1877, the pair escaped from their cell by unknown means, tying up and robbing the sheriff in the process. 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, spending long nights playing poker and other games. Bessie taught Arthur how to play dominoes. At some point, the gang acquired a pet dog named Copper, who Arthur grew close to and took care of.

During these early years, Hosea and his wife tried to go straight and took a trip through states like New Hanover and Lemoyne. 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, and at some point later became involved with a woman named Annabelle.

In 1885, Dutch came across a group of Illinois homesteaders preparing to hang a young 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 Morgan. Arthur and John became like brothers, and Dutch often read to them from books by Evelyn Miller and Waldo Emerson, even though most of the concepts went over the young boys' heads. Dutch educated the boys on his anarchistic worldview, 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 was Dutch's favorite and "golden boy", much to the envy of others.

In 1887, the gang committed its first bank robbery. At 2 o'clock, Hosea, Dutch and Arthur burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt. Arthur held a firearm up to the teller and demanded he throw up his hands. Dutch then proclaimed, "My fine patriotic friends and I are going to relieve you of some of that gold and introduce a few folks to the benefits of civilization". The gang made off with $5000 in gold. After the robbery, they lingered in town, going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money. It was around this time (likely because of this bank robbery) that Dutch became a wanted man with a price on his head. Between 1887 and 1899, the gang carried out roughly 37 different bank robberies in various locations around the country.

At one point in the past, Dutch and Colm O'Driscoll, the leader of the O'Driscoll Boys, had an uneasy truce between them. Dutch disliked how Colm treated his men 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 years 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 gang eventually stopped giving money to the poor and helping others and instead focused exclusively on caring for themselves 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 used to fight for. Instead of just thieving, the gang also began killing, 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.

For the next 6 years, the gang traveled throughout the frontier performing many other heists and crimes according to Dutch's values. In this time the gang picked up around a dozen new members, usually people who wished to escape and live outside of conventional society. It is unclear exactly when these gang members joined.

Examples of these new members included Mac and Davey Callander who were brothers described as “a vicious pair of bastards” and served as gunmen for the gang. Karen Jones was a con artist and triggerwoman. Mary-Beth Gaskill was a young woman who taken in by the gang as she was being chased by someone she had just pick-pocketed. Tilly Jackson left her previous gang after she killed a cousin of the gang's leader. She lived on the streets until she met Dutch who took her in and taught her to read just as he had done for Morgan and Marston. Simon Pearson was a former Navy Chief who was rescued by Dutch from other loan-sharks; he would become the camp cook. Orville Swanson, a reverend with both severe alcoholism and morphine addiction, saved Dutch's life once, as thanks Dutch offered him a permanent place in with the gang. Uncle was a petty thief and drunk who joined the gang, due to his personality he earned the reputation of a bit of a freeloader within the gang, but they let him stay due to his ability to entertain them and do what they wanted when asked. Sean MacGuire was a young Irishman who attempted to rob and kill Dutch and Hosea in North Elizabeth, but was later adopted into the gang. Molly O'Shea was a woman 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. The eccentric Josiah Trelawny was another con artist who formed an association with the gang, he would act 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 one point, an unnamed member betrayed the gang but was later caught and killed in the gang's camp for it.

In 1893, a drunk veteran named Bill Williamson attempted to rob Dutch, but Dutch simply laughed at him. This infuriated Williamson at first, but Dutch cheered him up and took him into the gang, giving him a purpose and reason to live. Bill lacked conventional intelligence, but he made up for it with his unfailing loyalty to Dutch and the gang.

In 1894, Uncle introduced the gang to a prostitute named Abigail Roberts, who joined the gang and had sexual relations with several gang members. Abigail eventually started a relationship with John, and soon became pregnant. John refused to accept responsibility for the child, insisting that it was not his. The baby, whose name was Jack, was subsequently raised by the gang, as he grew up he came to know many of the gang members like aunts and uncles since the gang considers themselves all family. When Jack was about a year old, John abandoned his son and the gang, this greatly angered Arthur Morgan who saw it as an act of great betrayal. About a year later John returned to the gang, while Dutch and many other members may have welcomed him back with open arms Arthur never truly forgave John for his actions. This would lead to a rift between the two "brothers" that would steadily grow over the next few years. In 1895, while stealing chickens, Dutch came across a young Mexican exile named Javier Escuella, who was also stealing chickens just to survive. Javier was starving and alone, so Dutch took him into the gang, feeding, and clothing him. Javier, a former revolutionary, had a strong affinity with the gang's philosophy and began to idolize Dutch. Javier would become one of the gangs most loyal gunmen.

By 1898, the gang found itself in Montana. Hosea caught several large salmon, planning a feast for the whole camp until Copper found and ate the fish. Sometime after this, Copper passed away. After a fire and some trouble up in the north, the gang traveled 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 several new recruits. The first of these new recruits were Lenny Summers and Charles Smith. At first, Hosea was unsure of Lenny, but the two grew to mutually respect each other and become good friends. Lenny was literate even before joining the gang and tried to use his knowledge to teach Sean how to read. Charles was used to surviving alone but was surprised by how fairly Dutch treated him despite his race and decided to stick around, having found a place he felt he belonged in. The gang picked up two new members around this time as well: Jenny Kirk, who was found abandoned on the roadside, and Micah Bell, who saved Dutch's life. Dutch met Bell at a place named Crenshaw Hill while trying to sell gold that the gang had recently stolen. Dutch ended up offending some of the locals, leading to an altercation where Micah stepped in and saved his life.

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. 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 the Pinkertons arriving suspiciously quickly. Everything took a turn for the worse and a gunfight ensued between the gang and the law. In the heat of the moment, Dutch cracked and killed an innocent girl named Heidi McCourt; in a very cruel way, according to Javier. John, Jenny Kirk, Mac, and Davey were all shot in the ensuing chaos but managed to escape, for the time being, the latter two had much more severe injuries than John and they both died shortly afterwards. Sean and Mac ended up separated from the rest of the gang and each other, Mac apparently didn't make it very far. He was discovered by Detective Andrew Milton, on the verge of death from injuries sustained in the fight. Detective Milton attempted to question him about the gang but Mac refused to rat out his gang until the very end, he was promptly killed by the Detective who would go on to sarcastically describe it as a "mercy killing". Sean escaped Blackwater but was eventually captured by bounty hunters who planned to sell him over to the Pinkertons.

Colter Chapter
After 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 and Davey succumb to their wounds and die. 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 hasn't 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. 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 an old gang member, 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 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.

Shortly after Sean's return to the gang, Arthur begins a relationship with a girl by the name of Camilla Lemieux. Hoping to share his life with her, Arthur offers her to take part in the gang's lifestyle, and she agrees to stay with them for the foreseeable future.

During the gang's stay, Micah gets arrested in the logging town of Strawberry while on patrol with Lenny. Dutch realizes he can't go for 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 "1000 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, 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 Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross, two members of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. 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 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 can't stay and decides to head South-East. 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. At this point, Camilla decides to take some time away from the gang to consider her options.

Clemens Point Chapter
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 Braithwaite. 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 of all people plans on robbing the bank in Valentine that he feels was to go well 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.

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'Driscoll's 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, of course, 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.

Some time later, Arthur and Camilla run into each other, where Arthur proposes and Camilla reveals she is pregnant. She agrees to rejoin the gang and returns to camp with Arthur, where another celebration is held.

Not long after Camilla returns, 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'Driscoll's 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 Pinkerton Agents grab 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 Pinkerton guards 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 Camilla 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, Camilla, 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 Annesberg 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 Native American's horses and later uses some leftover TNT to set a "humiliation" to the Army by trapping them in a valley. These plans only partly work with the former leading to rising conflict with the 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 Favours and Captain 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 its what they need. John, fed up with all of Dutch's "plans" sharply remarks with "what plan Dutch? What GODDAMN PLAN!?". After a slight argument ensues, the gang 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 U.S Army payroll to the Soldiers. 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. Arthur then orders Camilla to return home, as it is no longer safe for her or their baby. At first distraught and refusing, she finally agrees after Arthur tells her once this robbery is complete, they will be free to start a life together. Following a heartfelt goodbye, Camilla leaves Arthur for the last time. 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.

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 momento, 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.

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
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:
 * Micah goes on to form his own gang, taking Cleet and Joe with him. His gang is very successful and he is 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 Marston, Sadie, Charles and, with Dutch’s help, murdered in retaliation for his betrayal years prior.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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 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, the former Pinkerton agent Edgar Ross (now the head of the BOI) tracks him down to his ranch.
 * 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.
 * Mary-Beth becomes a well-known romance author under the pen name of “Leslie Dupont”. She temporarily reunites with John after running into him at the Valentine train station. After a short conversation, she gives him a copy of her book before boarding a train.
 * Tilly moved to Saint Denis, where she eventually got married to a Haitian lawyer, and the two live happily together. If John encounters her in Saint Denis, she appears to be pregnant. During a mid-credit scene, Tilly's child has already been born.
 * Karen’s whereabouts are unknown, but after John meets Tilly, she send him a letter, which speculates that Karen never stopped drinking after Sean's death and that she possibly "drank herself to death" (alcohol poisoning).
 * Strauss's whereabouts initially remained unknown after Arthur banished him from the gang. However, in a conversation with John, Charles reveals that Strauss was captured by Pinkerton agents and tortured for information about the gang, but he revealed nothing and resultantly died in custody.
 * Trelawny presumably returned to his family in Saint Denis. Although he has a happy life there, he would commonly disappear on his family for long periods of time just like he did with the gang.
 * Javier traveled 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.
 * 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.
 * Camilla moved back to Saint Denis where she gave birth to her and Arthur's daughter, Margaret. By 1907, she has married another man and is working as a famous actress, touring across the country and Broadway.
 * 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.

Associates

 * Jack Marston - child of John and Abigail, raised by the gang
 * Copper - former camp dog owned by Arthur
 * Cain - the camp dog, discovered by Jack at Clemens Point
 * Clay and Clive Davies - a pair of horse fences the gang uses on at least two occasions
 * Seamus - fence met by Arthur and Hosea
 * Alden Carruthers - crooked ticketmaster at Rhodes Post Office, who gives Arthur tips on stagecoaches worth robbing.
 * Leigh Gray and Archibald MacGregor - lawmen of Rhodes (unwittingly; c. 1899)
 * Tavish Gray - the patriarch of the Gray Family of Rhodes (c. 1899)
 * Catherine Braithwaite - matriarch of the Braithwaite Family of Rhodes (c. 1899)
 * Angelo Bronte - crime lord of Saint Denis (c. 1899)
 * Thomas - boatman in Lagras (c. 1899)
 * Hercule Fontaine and Leon Fuentes - rebel leaders in Guarma (c. 1899)
 * Eagle Flies - son of Wapiti Chief Rains Fall (c. 1899)

Trivia

 * Almost every member of the gang has a custom sidearm, and some even have custom longarms, with examples of the latter including John and Sadie.
 * Not all gang members have a fugitive status. Apparently, only prominent members, who actively participated in high-profile heists, are wanted by law enforcement. While other members, who mainly commit minor crimes or remain behind at the camp, have no bounty on their head and can settle down peacefully after the gang's disbandment.
 * 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 Saint Denis bank robbery of the Van der Linde gang.
 * 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.