Arthur Morgan

Arthur Morgan's personality is a complex mix of a rough, loyal outlaw exterior with a deep, evolving conscience, marked by loyalty to the Van der Linde gang, a dry sarcastic humor, and a developing sense of morality that questions Dutch's leadership as he grapples with his own capacity for good and evil, especially after his tuberculosis diagnosis. He's a hardened killer who can be ruthless but also shows surprising kindness and progressive views, struggling to find redemption in a changing world. Arthur Morgan was born circa 1863[1] to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan in the northern United States.[2] As a child, his mother died of unknown causes, while his father was a petty criminal and outlaw. In 1874, when Arthur was 11 years old, his father was arrested for larceny. Morgan later witnessed his death and, despite a strained relationship with him, still donned his hat and kept a picture of him.[3][4] Around 1877, a 14-year-old Arthur was found as a "wild delinquent" and picked up off the streets by outlaws Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews.[5] Viewing the pair as surrogate father figures, Arthur came to share Dutch's vision of a life lived free from the constraints of civilization and the rule of law. The pair taught him how to read, write, hunt, fight, shoot, and ride, becoming their first protégé as well as one of the founding members of the Van der Linde gang. A little later, Arthur met Susan Grimshaw as she got romantically involved with Dutch and joined the gang, acting as a tough mother figure. As a young adult, Arthur met a girl named Mary Gillis where the two fell deeply in love and even became engaged. He befriended her younger brother Jamie and taught him horseback-riding. On the other hand, Mary faced disapproval from some female gang members such as Susan Grimshaw. However, Arthur's preference for a life of crime coupled with the prevalent disapproval of Mary's family, most strongly from her father ultimately caused their relationship to fall apart, and the pair separated at some point between 1894 and 1899.[6] In 1884, Arthur was sent out fishing and pridefully returned with three beautiful bass. The gang celebrated with a big feast and toasted him all night long. The following week, Arthur and Dutch walked in the local market where it was revealed that he had simply purchased the bass from a fishmonger, much to his embarrassment.[7] In 1885, Arthur met a 12 year-old boy named John Marston who had been saved by Dutch from being lynched by a group of Illinois homesteaders. John was inducted into the gang and raised alongside Arthur with the pair growing as close as brothers. Dutch instilled the boys with his anarchist worldviews against a corrupt government and preached that revenge was a fool's game. Over the years, Arthur and John became regarded as Dutch's favorite 'sons'. In 1887, Arthur participated in the gang's first major bank robbery alongside Dutch and Hosea. At 2 o'clock, the trio burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt and managed to make off with $5000 in gold. After the robbery, they lingered in town, going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money, envisioning themselves as 'Robin Hood' figures.[8] It was following this event where Arthur became a wanted man. Some time after, Arthur met and slept with a 19 year-old waitress named Eliza, resulting in her becoming pregnant with their son, Isaac. Although Eliza knew of Arthur's lifestyle, she accepted whatever support he offered to her and their son. Arthur, not wanting to promise anything he couldn't keep, said that he would do right by them. He would periodically visit Eliza and Isaac every few months and stay with them for days at a time. Arthur remembered fondly of Isaac as a 'good kid'. Tragically one day, however, Arthur arrived at their home and saw two crosses outside. He knew immediately that they were both dead, and later learned that they had been shot and killed by robbers, all for ten dollars.[9] This traumatic incident hardened Arthur as a result as he never truly coped with the pain and gave him the understanding to not live the life of an outlaw and expect good things to happen to him. At some point, Arthur found a pet dog named Copper, whom he grew particularly close to and occasionally took baths with. Although Arthur had difficulty controlling him, he admired the dog's spirit. He also acquired a mare at some point named Boadicea whom he became fond of, although she passed away sometime before the gang's arrival at Colter. In 1894, a prostitute named Abigail Roberts joined the Van der Linde Gang after being introduced by Uncle. At some point, she fell in love with John Marston and became pregnant with their son named Jack. Arthur became a surrogate uncle figure towards him growing up. John however refused to accept responsibility over the boy and soon left the gang around 1896. Around a year later, John returned, and while Dutch and the majority of the gang welcomed him back with open arms, Arthur felt betrayed by his actions and a rift was formed between the two which steadily grew over the years. At some point between 1893 and 1899, Arthur, Uncle, and recent recruit Bill Williamson robbed a bank near Canada. Uncle served at the lookout, which Arthur claims he performed poorly at, while Bill and Arthur acted as gunmen.[10] In the mid-1890s, Arthur also took part in a bank robbery in Tucson, Arizona, alongside fellow gang members Javier Escuella and Karen Jones. The heist was a success, with the pair sending Karen to infiltrate the bank disguised as nun, concealing two pistols in her clothes.[11] Sometime prior to 1899, Javier and Arthur attempted to rob a stagecoach after receiving tips from a crooked lawman in Reno, Nevada. However, they decided to let the stagecoach go when they found out that it was full of women and children. To their disappointment, the stagecoach was robbed by the O'Driscoll Boys the very next day, who murdered all its passengers.[12] By 1898, the gang had found itself in Montana. During their stay, Hosea caught several large salmon during a fishing trip and planned to prepare a feast for the whole camp. However, the feast was cut short when Copper found and ate the fish, passing away soon after.[13] Arthur would keep a picture of Copper on his wagon as a memento. After a fire, in which Arthur's old journal was lost, and some trouble up 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. While traversing the Grizzlies, several new members were picked up and brought into the gang. A young teenager, Lenny Summers, and a drifting outlaw, Charles Smith. Arthur had generally fair opinions of the pair, eventually forming close bonds with the two. Later on, the gang came across Jenny Kirk, a young woman abandoned by the roadside. The most recent member inducted into the gang was Micah Bell, a hot-headed career outlaw who saved Dutch's life in a shootout. Although Dutch took a liking to Micah, Arthur and Hosea openly disliked him for his tendencies. By the spring of 1899, the gang had arrived in West Elizabeth and decided to hide in plain sight just outside Blackwater, a town undergoing the process of industrialization. The gang began to scope out many leads, including Arthur and Hosea, who were planning a hefty real estate scam. Despite this, Dutch was also planning something big. Supported by Micah, Dutch began working on plans to rob a ferry laden with riches coming to town. Hosea and Arthur were reluctant despite Dutch's beliefs. His plan was to carry out the heist then flee west, possibly into New Austin. Then, after Arthur and Hosea carried out their scam, they would join the gang the following day. Unfortunately, the ferry heist did not go as expected. At some point during the robbery, the gang was ambushed by the Pinkertons, causing a massive firefight known as the Blackwater Massacre. Arthur and Hosea arrived late, and by then, the gang was barely holding on.[14] Several gang members were killed or seriously injured, and they fled the area in an "almighty scramble," north into the mountains in hopes of avoiding the law. Arthur suspected that the heist might have been a set up.