  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, strong drug use, extremely traumatic themes, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
The Glanton Gang, better known as Glanton's Gang, are the main protagonists of the late Cormac McCarthy's 1985 historical and anti-Western epic novel Blood Meridian. They serve as scalp hunters seeking profit, and a few key members are based on real people from history.
History[]
Not much is known about when and where the Glanton Gang was formed, apart from the fact that it was formed by Captain Glanton as a way to complete two major goals: execute certain personnel to claim their large bounty (such as Gómez) and hunt various Indians for their scalps, ears, or other body parts to sell (or make necklaces out of). In short, the purpose of the Glanton Gang is to generate profit through hunting and scalping.
Captain John Joel Glanton is the leader of the Glanton Gang, acting as the leading voice that commands every decision. He and another member, Judge Holden, serve as the main antagonists of Blood Meridian. It is unknown when specifically the Judge joined Glanton's Gang, just that he joined before the Kid did. Throughout the novel, Glanton's Gang is constantly recruiting new members, such as the Delawares, to assist them in their xenophobic mission.
Glanton's Gang is seen raiding, murdering, slaughtering, and scalping hundreds of Indian camps without remorse, and there are a few instances where we see Glanton selling the spoils of their battle in local villages for money, which is distributed to the group in an uneven way, as it is implied that most of the profit ends up in the pockets of Glanton and the Judge.
While members of the gang die off throughout the novel, the majority of them die at the hands of the Yuma Indians, who slaughter a large number of members, including Captain Glanton, but also John Dorsey, Henderson Smith, John Gunn, Wilson and likely also Irving and Marcus Webster. There were a few escapees, however, such as the Judge. When the Yuma Indians broke into his room, where he was seen in bed with a young girl and the Idiot, he held a howitzer cannon under his arm to blast his way out. Other survivors were Tobin, Toadvine and and The Kid, and defacto also David Brown, who was not present for the massacre.
Eventually, The Kid, David Brown and Toadvine are arrested, all but the Kid executed, Tobin having have gone missing. As such, Judge disbands the Glanton Gang as the sole remaining member by process of elimination.
Members[]
Leaders[]
- John Joel Glanton † - Founder and Former Leader
- Judge Holden - Leader at time of disbandment
Soldiers[]
- The Kid
- Benjamin Tobin
- Louis Toadvine †
- David Brown †
- White Jackson †
- Black Jackson
- The Vandiemenlander (aka Bathcat) †
- Gilchrist
- Grannyrat Chambers
- Dick Shelby
- Marcus "Long" Webster
- The Delaware Mercenaries
Doctors[]
- Irving
Other Members[]
- John Prewett
- The Idiot
- Cloyce Bell
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Due to the ambiguous nature of the novel, there is no way of knowing for sure how many members of Glanton's Gang are alive by the end.
- The only person who is confirmed to be alive is Judge Holden. The Kid's fate isn't confirmed, although it is heavily implied that he is dead. Other members such as Webster and the Idiot are have unknown fates, although it could be assumed that they most likely are also dead.
- There are, however, quite a few with confirmed deaths, those being:
- John Joel Glanton — killed by Yumas
- David Brown — hanged in Los Angeles
- John "White" Jackson — decapitated by Black Jackson
- John "Black" Jackson — killed by Yumas
- Louis Toadvine — hanged in Los Angeles
- "John McGill" — shot dead by Glanton
- unnamed Delaware — killed by a bear
- unnamed Delaware — mercy killed by an unnamed Delaware
- unnamed Delaware — mercy killed by an unnamed Delaware
- unnamed Delaware — killed by Apaches
- unnamed Delaware — killed by Apaches
- Bathcat — killed by Apaches
- John Dorsey — killed by Yumas
- Henderson Smith — killed by Yumas
- Grimley — stabbed in a cantina fight
- unnamed Mexican — blood loss
- John Gunn — killed by Yumas
- Wilson — killed by Yumas
- Gilchrist — killed by Apaches
- Irving and Marcus Webster are also considered to be killed by Yumas, though not directly confirmed, only through the passing mention that along with Glanton and Lincoln, 8 other bodies were burned by the Yumas, which would fully account for everyone known to be still part of the gang at the time (plus Cloyce, if John Prewett has died at an earlier time) who are not mentioned as surviving of the attack, Irving and Marcus included.
External Links[]
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Blood Meridian No Country for Old Men Outer Dark Child of God The Counselor The Road | ||