Robert Ewing Younger (October 29, 1853 – September 16, 1889) was an American criminal and outlaw, the younger brother of

Cole Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...

Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...

and John Younger. He was a member of the

James–Younger Gang The James–Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that revolved around Jesse James and his brother Frank James. The gang was based in the state of Missouri, the home of most of the members. Membership fluctuated from ...

Life

Born in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

on October 29, 1853, Robert was the thirteenth of fourteen children born to Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe. During the Civil War his brothers Cole and Jim rode with

Quantrill's Raiders Quantrill's Raiders were the best-known of the pro-Confederate States of America, Confederate partisan guerrillas (also known as "bushwhackers") who fought in the American Civil War. Their leader was William Quantrill and they included Jesse Ja ...

. Bob was only 8 when the war broke out in 1861. He saw his father killed by Union soldiers and his home burned to the ground. After the war, his brothers formed the James–Younger Gang with

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

and Jesse James. For ten years the gang robbed banks, trains, and stage coaches across Missouri, Kansas and other nearby states. Bob Younger is believed to have first joined the gang in 1873. In September 1876 the gang attempted to rob the First National Bank in

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W ...

. The citizens included many Union army veterans who fought back effectively, and in the ensuing shootout all three of the Younger brothers were wounded and captured. Bob was wounded in the elbow and later in the chest. Two Northfield citizens were killed in the botched raid.

Imprisonment and death

Bob Younger was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

in prison at

Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), St. Croix River, across from H ...

on September 16, 1889, at the age of 35 years. His body was shipped to Lee's Summit, Missouri where a funeral was held. He was buried in the Lee's Summit Cemetery.

Film and television portrayal

*''

Days of Jesse James ''Days of Jesse James'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Cast *Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers * George 'Gabby' Hayes as Gabby Whittaker * Don 'Red' Barry as Jesse James *Pauline Moore as Mary Whittaker ...

'' (1939) portrayed by Forrest Dillon *''

Bad Men of Missouri ''Bad Men of Missouri'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and written by Charles Grayson. The film stars Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman, Wayne Morris and Arthur Kennedy. The film was released by Warner Bros. on July 26, 194 ...

'' (1941) portrayed by

Wayne Morris Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), '' ...

*'' The Younger Brothers'' (1949) portrayed by James Brown *''

The Great Missouri Raid ''The Great Missouri Raid'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Frank Gruber. The film stars Wendell Corey, Macdonald Carey, Ellen Drew, Ward Bond, Bruce Bennett, Bill Williams and Anne Revere. The film w ...

'' (1951) portrayed by

Paul Lees Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

*'' Best of the Badmen'' (1951) portrayed by

Jack Beutel Jack Buetel (September 5, 1915 – June 27, 1989) was an American film and television actor. Life Born John Alexander Beutel in Dallas, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930s with the intention of establishing a film caree ...

*''

The True Story of Jesse James ''The True Story of Jesse James'' is a 1957 American Western drama film adapted from Henry King's 1939 film ''Jesse James'', which was only loosely based on James' life. It was directed by Nicholas Ray, with Robert Wagner portraying Jesse Jame ...

'' (1957) portrayed by Anthony Ray *''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'' (1960) portrayed by

Bill Tennant Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

*''

Young Jesse James ''Young Jesse James'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by William F. Claxton and written by Orville H. Hampton and Jerry Sackheim. The film stars Ray Stricklyn, Willard Parker, Merry Anders, Robert Dix, Emile Meyer and Jacklyn O'Donnell. ...

'' (1960) portrayed by Robert Palmer *'' The Legend of Jesse James'' (1966) portrayed by

Tim McIntire Timothy John McIntire (July 19, 1944 – April 15, 1986) was an American character actor, probably best known for his starring roles as Alan Freed in the film ''American Hot Wax'' (1978), as singer George Jones in the television movie ''Stand ...

*'' The Intruders'' (1970) portrayed by

Zalman King Zalman King (born Zalman King Lefkowitz; May 23, 1941 – February 3, 2012) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. His films are known for incorporating sexuality, and are often categorized as erotica. Early life Zalman Kin ...

*''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. Th ...

'' (1972) portrayed by Matt Clark *'' Poor Devil'' (1973) portrayed by

Nicholas Georgiade Nicholas Georgiade (March 25, 1933 – December 19, 2021) was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Agent Rico Rossi in the television series ''The Untouchables (1959 TV series), The Untouchables''. Early life and educati ...

*''

The Long Riders ''The Long Riders'' is a 1980 American Western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the ''Best Music'' award in 1980 from t ...

'' (1980) portrayed by

Robert Carradine Robert Reed Carradine ( ; born March 24, 1954) is an American actor. A member of the Carradine family, he made his first appearances on television Western series such as ''Bonanza'' and his brother David's TV series, '' Kung Fu''. Carradine's fi ...

*'' Frank & Jesse'' (1995) portrayed by

Todd Field William Todd Field (born February 24, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for directing three feature films: '' In the Bedroom'' (2001), '' Little Children'' (2006), and '' Tár'' (2022). He has received three Academy Award no ...

*''

American Outlaws ''American Outlaws'' is a 2001 American Western alternate history film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, and Ali Larter. Plot Confederate guerillas attempt to raid the Union Army late in the American Civil War. ...

'' (2001) portrayed by

Will McCormack William Joseph McCormack Jr. (born January 13, 1974) is an American actor, executive producer, screenwriter, and film director. He is best known for his short film ''If Anything Happens I Love You'' (2020), which earned him the Academy Award fo ...

*''

Shootout! ''Shootout!'' is a documentary series featured on The History Channel and ran for two seasons from 2005 to 2006. It depicts actual firefights between United States military personnel and other combatants. There are also occasional episodes dedicate ...

'' (2005) portrayed by Keith Lewis

External links

*
Younger family genealogy on the official website for the family of Jesse James: Stray Leaves, A James Family in America Since 1650
{{DEFAULTSORT:Younger, Robert James–Younger Gang American bank robbers Outlaws of the American Old West 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis People from Lee's Summit, Missouri 1853 births 1889 deaths People of Missouri in the American Civil War American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American people who died in prison custody Tuberculosis deaths in Minnesota Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government Prisoners who died in United States federal government detention Gunslingers of the American Old West