Robert H. Birch
| Robert H. Birch | |
|---|---|
An illustration of Robert Birch at 18 years old in 1846 being pursued by the law toward the end of his outlaw period with the "Banditti of the Prairie".
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| Born |
Robert Henry Birch c. 1827 New York or North Carolina |
| Died | c. 1866 (aged 39) Arizona Territory, present-day Arizona |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Robert Birch, Henry Birch, "Three-Fingered" Birch, Robert Harris, R. Harris, R. Haris, Haris, Owin, Haines, Gains, Thomas Brown, Tom Brown, Robert Blecher, R.H. Blecher |
| Occupation | bandit, burglar, prospector, postmaster, soldier |
| Employer | Confederate States government, self-employed |
| Known for | Being an accomplice in the torture-murder of Colonel George Davenport and a member of the notorious Banditti of the Prairie |
| Home town | Marshall, Illinois |
| Parent(s) | John "Old Coon" Birch, Sr. |
| Relatives | John Birch, Jr. (brother), Timothy Birch (brother) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Confederate Arizona Territory |
| Service/branch |
 Confederate Army
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| Years of service | 1862-1865 |
| Unit | Colonel John Salmon Ford's Second Texas Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Robert H. "Three-Fingered" Birch, born Robert Henry Birch (c. 1827 – c. 1866), was a 19th-century American adventurer, criminal, soldier, lawman, postmaster, and prospector. He was a member of the infamous "Banditti of the Prairie" in his youth, whose involvement in the torture-murder of Colonel George Davenport in 1845 led to his turning state's evidence against his co-conspirators. Birch was also, the discoverer of the Pinos Altos gold mine with Jacob Snively and James W. Hicks. During the American Civil War, he served in the American Southwest with the Confederate forces of the Arizona Rangers and 2nd Texas Cavalry.
Robert Birch claimed to have been born in New York, but amateur detective, Edward Bonney alleged, that Birch's father, John "Old Coon" Birch, Sr., stated, in their home, which was nine miles southwest of Marshall, in Clark County, Illinois, that Robert had been born in North Carolina. Birch had moved with his father and his two brothers, John, Jr. and Timothy, to Illinois, as a child.
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