𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚛 𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚗

Arthur Morgan was born around 1863 to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan somewhere in the northern United States. His childhood was marked by tragedy: his mother passed away from unknown causes, and his father lived as a petty criminal and outlaw. In 1874, when Arthur was only eleven, Lyle Morgan was arrested for theft. Arthur later witnessed his father’s death. Although their relationship had been troubled, he still chose to wear his father’s hat and kept a photograph of him as a reminder.

By 1877, Arthur was roaming the streets as a “wild delinquent” when he was taken in by Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews. He quickly came to see them as surrogate fathers and embraced Dutch’s dream of living free from the reach of civilization and the law. Under their guidance, he learned to read and write, as well as hunt, fight, shoot, and ride. Arthur became their first protégé and one of the founding members of the Van der Linde gang. Around this time, Susan Grimshaw also joined the group after becoming romantically involved with Dutch, taking on the role of a stern, maternal figure.

As a young man, Arthur fell deeply in love with Mary Gillis, and the two even became engaged. He grew close to her younger brother Jamie, teaching him how to ride horses. However, their relationship faced obstacles: certain gang members, particularly Susan Grimshaw, disapproved of Mary, and Mary’s own family — especially her father — strongly objected to Arthur. Combined with Arthur’s commitment to an outlaw’s life, these tensions led to the eventual end of their romance sometime between 1894 and 1899.

In 1884, Arthur went fishing and proudly returned with three large bass. The gang celebrated him all night with a feast and toasts. A week later, however, Dutch discovered at a local market that Arthur had bought the fish from a fishmonger rather than catching them, which left Arthur embarrassed.

The following year, in 1885, Arthur met John Marston, a twelve-year-old boy whom Dutch had rescued from lynching by Illinois homesteaders. John was welcomed into the gang and grew up alongside Arthur, the two forming a bond like brothers. Dutch instilled his anarchist ideals into both boys, teaching them that revenge was futile. Over time, Arthur and John came to be seen as Dutch’s favorite “sons.”

In 1887, Arthur joined Dutch and Hosea in their first major bank robbery. At two in the morning, they stormed the banking house of Lee and Hoyt, stealing $5,000 in gold. Afterward, they distributed money to the poor in town, fashioning themselves as Robin Hood–like figures. From this point onward, Arthur became a wanted man.

Not long after, Arthur had a relationship with a nineteen-year-old waitress named Eliza, which led to the birth of their son, Isaac. While Eliza was aware of his outlaw lifestyle, she accepted the limited support he provided. Arthur promised only what he could keep, visiting them every few months and cherishing his time with Isaac, whom he remembered as a “good kid.” Tragically, Arthur one day arrived at their home to find two crosses outside. He learned that Eliza and Isaac had been murdered by robbers for a mere ten dollars. This devastating event left Arthur hardened and shaped his understanding that an outlaw’s life could never lead to good outcomes.

Arthur also formed attachments to animals. He had a dog named Copper, with whom he shared a particularly close bond, even bathing together at times. Although Copper was difficult to manage, Arthur admired his spirit. He also cared for a mare named Boadicea, who died before the gang’s stay in Colter.

In 1894, Abigail Roberts, introduced by Uncle, joined the gang. She later entered into a relationship with John Marston and gave birth to their son, Jack. Arthur took on the role of an uncle figure to Jack, though he resented John for abandoning the boy and the gang for a time in 1896. When John returned the following year, Dutch welcomed him back, but Arthur never fully forgave the betrayal, creating a lasting rift between them.

Between 1893 and 1899, Arthur, Uncle, and new recruit Bill Williamson robbed a bank near the Canadian border. Uncle acted as lookout — poorly, according to Arthur — while Bill and Arthur handled the gunfighting. During the mid-1890s, Arthur also helped rob a bank in Tucson, Arizona, alongside Javier Escuella and Karen Jones. The job succeeded, with Karen disguised as a nun and concealing pistols beneath her robes.

At another point, Arthur and Javier attempted to rob a stagecoach in Reno, Nevada, tipped off by a corrupt lawman. When they discovered it was carrying only women and children, they let it go. Unfortunately, the O’Driscoll Boys robbed the coach the next day, murdering all its passengers.

By 1898, the gang had made their way to Montana. Hosea caught several large salmon on a fishing trip and planned a feast, but Copper ate the fish and later died, leaving Arthur grief-stricken. He kept a picture of Copper in his wagon as a keepsake. Around this time, a fire destroyed Arthur’s old journal. To avoid pursuit, the gang then traveled through the Northern Grizzlies, spending months in the wilderness and surviving harsh winters in the western foothills.

During this period, several new members joined: a young teenager named Lenny Summers and a drifting outlaw named Charles Smith, both of whom Arthur grew to respect and befriend. They also rescued Jenny Kirk, a young woman abandoned on the roadside. The last major addition was Micah Bell, a volatile outlaw who once saved Dutch’s life in a gunfight. Dutch quickly grew fond of Micah, but Arthur and Hosea distrusted him from the start.

By spring 1899, the gang had reached West Elizabeth, setting up camp near the industrializing town of Blackwater. They pursued several schemes, including a real estate scam by Arthur and Hosea. Meanwhile, Dutch, encouraged by Micah, planned a grand robbery of a ferry carrying valuable cargo. Arthur and Hosea opposed the idea but agreed to meet the others afterward.

The heist turned into disaster. Pinkerton agents ambushed the gang during the robbery, leading to a bloody battle remembered as the Blackwater Massacre. Arthur and Hosea arrived late to find the gang in chaos, with many members dead or wounded. In the aftermath, they escaped in a desperate flight north into the mountains, where Arthur suspected the whole job had been a setup.