John Harrison Younger (c. 1851 – March 17, 1874) was an American outlaw and, briefly, a member of the James–Younger Gang. The gang also included his brothers Cole, Jim and Bob Younger and the infamous Jesse James.
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Origins
He was the 11th child of Henry Washington Younger and Bersheba Leighton Fristoe's 14 children and their fifth son, the fourth to survive into adulthood.
In July 1862, his father was shot and killed while on a business trip to Kansas City by a detachment of Union militiamen. As a result of this killing, several of John's brothers joined Quantrill's Raiders, but John and his younger brother Bob were too young to join so they stayed at home to look after their mother and sisters.
Killing of Gillcreas
In January 1866, Bob and John took their mother to Independence, Missouri, to purchase winter supplies. An ex-soldier named Gillcreas, recognizing the family from his military days, came up to the wagon and made some negative comments about Cole and Jim.