Minor Fictional Characters in The War Between the Provinces

This article lists the various minor fictional characters who appear in The War Between the Provinces series. These characters are identified by name or profession, but play at best a peripheral role in the series. Some were simply mentioned or had a very brief, unimportant speaking role that did not impact the plot, and never appeared again.

=Posthumous references= These characters died before the first chapter of Sentry Peak, and as such, their "appearances" in the series are limited to posthumous references.

Buchan of Detina
Buchan was King of Detina. He was succeeded at death by his son Avram, precipitating a major succession crisis when eleven northern provinces - with which Buchan had long sympathized despite his Southron roots - rebelled against the new king, who was dedicated to ending the institution of serfdom.

Literary Comment: Buchan is based on James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln's predecessor as President of the United States. Buchanan was notoriously indifferent to the question of slavery.

Daniel the Weaver
Daniel the Weaver was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and John the Typhoon to reach a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The spirit of compromise was short-lived, and war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne after his father Buchan's death.

Literary Comment: Daniel the Weaver is based on Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts.

Henry Feet of Clay
Henry Feet of Clay was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Daniel the Weaver and John the Typhoon to work out a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The compromise was short-lived, and the war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne.

Literary Comment: Henry Feet of Clay is based on Senator Henry Clay (1777-1852) of Kentucky.

Hesmucet (blond)
Hesmucet was a blond king. During the War of 1218, Hesmucet led his army against the Ethnic Detinans before they had become firmly established as the rulers of the continent. Hesmucet frustrated the expansionist intentions of the Detinans for a long time but was ultimately killed in battle.

The famous Detinan general Hesmucet was named for him.

Literary Comment: Hesmucet is based on the Shawnee chieftain Tecumseh (1768-1813), who fought the United States during the War of 1812. Hesmucet is Tecumseh spelled backwards. Tecumseh was also the middle name of William Sherman, on whom the POV character Hesmucet is based.

John the Typhoon
John the Typhoon was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and Daniel the Weaver to work out a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The spirit of compromise was short-lived and war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne.

Literary Comment: John the Typhoon is based on Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina.

Jordan
Count Jordan of Cloviston did what he could to keep his home province loyal to King Avram. Although his younger son Thom served as a brigadier in Avram's forces, his older son George the Bibber joined Geoffrey's side.

Literary Comment: Jordan is based on John Jordan Crittenden (September 10, 1787 - July 26, 1863), Governor and Senator from Kentucky, and Attorney General of the United States. As the deaths of most characters in the story mirror the time frame of their historical counterparts' demises, it is probable that Harry Turtledove intended for Jordan to have died a few weeks before Sentry Peak begins.

Kermit
Great King Kermit was an emperor on the continent across the Western Ocean from Detina. Fifty years before the Detinan Civil War, Kermit waged war against other western kingdoms to expand his empire. His efforts were met with tremendous initial success, and he established a reputation as one of the world's all-time greatest military geniuses. However, he attempted to invade the massive southern kingdom of Sorb during a particularly brutal winter. His forces reached the key Sorbian city of Pahzbull but were forced into retreat, and his army never recovered from the massive casualties it sustained on that retreat. More men were lost to starvation and winter than to Sorbian and allied counteroffensives.

Literary Comment: Great King Kermit is very closely based on Emperor Napoleon I of France. The name "Kermit" is probably a reference to an insulting name for the French as "frogs". The nation which Kermit ruled is not given a name.

Lemon
Count Lemon was a figure from Detina's distant past. His courthouse was set up in a fortress in Parthenia Province, which became the nucleus of the city of Lemon's Justiciary.

Sidney the War Unicorn
Sidney the War Unicorn was a General who aligned with Geoffrey's "kingdom" in the Detinan Civil War. He was regarded as one of Geoffrey's best officers. Sidney was shot in the thigh with a crossbow bolt at the Battle of Pottstown Pier, and bled to death on the field before anybody, himself included, realized the seriousness of his injury.

Literary comment: Sidney is based on Albert Sidney Johnston.

Thomas the Brick Wall
Thomas the Brick Wall was a wing commander in the Army of Southern Parthenia. He was considered by some second only to his superior, Duke Edward of Arlington, as the greatest general who followed "King" Geoffrey's rebellion against King Avram.

At the Battle of Viziersville, Thomas and Edward conceived and executed a daring plan to rout Fighting Joseph's loyal forces despite being severely outnumbered. Unfortunately, while reconnoitering near the front, Thomas was accidentally shot by his own men and mortally wounded.

Literary Comment: Thomas the Brick Wall is based on Thomas Jackson, the "Stonewall".

Unnamed Highlow Patriarch
A very old man from Highlow Province enlisted in King Avram's army at the outbreak of the Detinan Civil War, despite his advanced age. He was killed in action when John the Hunter led unicorn riders on a raid across the Highlow River into the Province itself. The old man was survived by his sons, including Alexander and Niel, and his nephews including Moody, who were also fighting to keep Detina a united kingdom.

Literary comment: This unnamed character is based on Daniel McCook Sr. (1798-1863), one of the patriarchs of the "Fighting McCooks".

Zachary the Rough and Ready
King Zachary the Rough and Ready was a former King of Detina. He reigned ten years before the Civil War began. During his reign, he narrowly managed to stave off a war over serfdom by accepting a compromise proposed by Daniel the Weaver, Henry Feet of Clay, and John the Typhoon.

Zachary had been dead for a number of years when the war began, but members of his family, who were not in line for succession to the throne, remained prominent in the Detinan aristocracy. One of them was Richard the Haberdasher.

Literary Comment: Zachary is modeled on Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), the 12th President of the United States (in office March 1849 - July 1850), whose nickname as a General during the Mexican-American War was "Old Rough and Ready."

=Direct appearances and contemporary references= These characters were still alive during the first chapter of Sentry Peak, although some did not remain alive for very long after that. Some made direct appearances in the series, others were only referenced as being still alive, and a few were referenced as having just died.

Albertus the Great
(Sentry Peak-Marching Through Peachtree)

Colonel Albertus was a mage attached to General Doubting George's service. Both his mannerisms and his habit of styling himself "the Great" made him seem like a circus mountebank. In the lead-up to the Battle of the River of Death, Albertus admitted to being completely flummoxed by Thraxton the Braggart's magical defenses which prevented remote viewing.

During the March To the Western Ocean, Albertus made a spectacular blunder, though fortunately not in combat. Using telekinesis to lift a wagon out of the mud, he lifted the wagon 10 feet off the ground. This resulted in a battle of accusations between Albertus and the captain in charge of the wagon. Eventually, Albertus fixed his mistake.

Alexander (Broadpath's brigadier)
(SP)

Alexander was a brigadier of engineers from "King" Geoffrey's Army of Southern Parthenia who accompanied Earl James of Broadpath in his transfer to the Army of Franklin in the third year of the Detinan Civil War. He was an eager young man, who didn't worry about whether something could be done before attempting to do it, and had a plucky sense of humor, even on the battlefield.

Literary comment: Alexander is based on Confederate General Edward Porter Alexander.

Andrew the Smith
(MTP)

Brigadier Andrew the Smith informed General Hesmucet, via crystal, of Sam the Sturgeon's defeat at the hands of Ned of the Forest near Luxor. Hesmucet assigned Andrew to take up the fight against Ned, prompting Andrew to wish out loud that they had a man like Ned on their own side. Hesmucet replied that he was merely glad that Andrew was on their side against Ned.

Literary comment: Andrew the Smith is based on Major General Andrew Jackson "Whiskey" Smith (1815–1897).

Arris
(SP; Advance and Retreat)

Arris was a blond serf in the service of Ned of the Forest. He was a sly man, but loyal to his master. Ned promised to someday free Arris from all bonds, so that the blond could set himself up as a yeoman farmer. .

At the end of the Detinan Civil War, Arris wondered if any grant endowed by Ned would be recognized by the victorious southrons. Ned simply didn't know, but figured blonds might get an easier reception from the occupying forces than their treasonous overlords would.

Barre
(A&R)

Barre was an actor residing in Georgetown, Detina during the closing days of the Civil War. He was the younger brother of Handsome Edwin. He was an outspoken opponent of King Avram's policies regarding blonds and the subjugation of the rebellious provinces. Some urged his arrest for treason, but Avram's laws forbade the abridgement of a man's right to speak his mind as long as he caused no harm. Brigadier John the Lister was shocked when he heard Barre unleash a tirade one evening at the House of the Rat, which contained the exclamation "Thus always to tyrants!" Marshal Bart insisted that Barre was nothing but wind and air, and that his incarceration would cause more harm than a free Barre would ever cause.

Literary Comment: Barre is based on John Wilkes Booth, the actor who murdered President Abraham Lincoln in the waning days of the American Civil War, and was killed by pursuing soldiers two weeks later. The fictional analog's name is a reference to the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In-universe, Avram's and Barre's fates remain unrevealed.

Bartram the Traveler
(A&R)

Captain Bartram the Traveler was a scryer who reported to General Doubting George in his Ramblerton headquarters. Bartram developed a way to read crystal balls that were out of range. Using this tactic, he intercepted a message from Marshal Bart ordering Baron Logan the Black to Ramblerton to supplant George, because the latter was moving too slow to mop up what was left of the Army of Tennessee. Bartram pleaded with George to move against the foe, and was baffled by the General's refusal.

Literary comment: The character's name appears to be a reference to Bartram's Travels, an anthropological memoir written by William Bartram in 1791, detailing the life and times of numerous Native American groups in the Southeast.

Ben
(A&R)

Ben was a unicorn rider in Ned of the Forest's command. After returning from reconnaissance, Ben reported to Ned that a southron force was behaving curiously on Summer Mountain, traveling in small numbers and taking very few security precautions. Ned discussed the matter with General Bell, who promoted Ben to corporal.

Benj
(SP)

Lt. Benj was an officer in Captain Cephas' command. In a skirmish between the River of Death and Rising Rock, Benj was wounded, and subsequently contracted a fever which proved fatal.

Bianca
(SP; A&R)

Baroness Bianca was the wife of Baron Ormerod. She was a very cheerful woman, and put the brightest spin on any news. When Ormerod, now a captain in the Army of Franklin, received Bianca's letters, he was unsure how many runaway or disobedient serfs she was not telling him about.

Such was Bianca's beauty that male serfs (including Rollant) always made sure to cast their eyes down when she walked by, due to the societal taboo against blond men seeming too interested in a swarthy woman.

In spite of his wife's beauty, Ormerod was not wholly satisfied with Bianca, and infamously "tomcatted" among the serf women.

Literary comment: With her connection to the "Shakespearean regiment," it is likely that Bianca's name is an allusion to supporting characters in Othello and The Taming of the Shrew.

Marble Bill
(MTP)

Brigadier William, known as Marble Bill from his pale, expressionless face, commanded loyalist unicorn riders under Generals Hesmucet and Doubting George. He was not a brilliant cavalry commander like the enemy's Ned of the Forest and Jeb the Beauty, but he was competent, unlike most other southrons in the same profession. During the Commissioner Mountain campaign, when George offered to have Major Alva lay down a confusion spell to mask Bill's movements, Bill refused, saying that the enemy would be on the lookout for magecraft, and any trace of a spell would cause them to be alert.

Hesmucet was often irritated by Bill's frankness in speaking, and his lack of optimism, but recognized him as the best option there was.

Literary comment: Marble Bill is based on General George Stoneman.

Bill the Bald
(SP)

Bill the Bald was a brigadier under Doubting George during the River of Death-Rising Rock campaign.

Literary comment: Bill the Bald is based on General William F. "Baldy" Smith (1824-1903).

Brank
(A&R)

Brank was a blond serf who was fiercely loyal to his master, Ned of the Forest. At the end of the Detinan Civil War, Ned released Brank from service with a land grant to set up a yeoman farm, though Ned was uncertain whether any grant endowed by him would be recognized by the victorious southrons.

Brinton the Bold
(A&R)

Brinton the Bold was the General of King Avram's armies in the west for most of the first two years of the Detinan Civil War. Brinton was handsome and brave, and won a few small victories early in the war. But he moved with the speed of a tortoise, belying his presumptuous nickname. Avram once asked, half seriously, if he could borrow the army as Brinton was not making use of it. After failing to defeat the rebels definitively, Brinton left the army. Two years later, he roamed the south making speeches that fell just short of treasonous, suggesting that he would make a better king than Avram. But for the long-standing Detinan tradition of free speech, Brinton would have been crucified near the Black Palace.

Literary Comment: Brinton is closely based on George Brinton McClellan.

Brown
(SP-A&R)

Duke Brown was a northern Detinan nobleman. He supported Grand Duke Geoffrey's rebellion against the kingdom and was rewarded with an appointment as satrap of his home province of Peachtree Province. However, Geoffrey came to regret the appointment, as Brown was a thoroughly independent-minded satrap. He resisted Joseph the Gamecock's attempts to conscript his militia into the Army of Franklin. An exasperated Joseph declared that he would defend Brown's province whether the satrap wanted him to or not.

Literary Comment: Brown is based on Governor Joseph Brown of Georgia, who had a famously antagonistic relationship with Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government.

Cabell of Broken Ridge
(SP)

Duke Cabell of Broken Ridge backed Geoffrey's claim to the kingship of northern Detina during the Civil War. Following the sacking of Dan of Rabbit Hill, Cabell commanded part of the Army of Franklin. Count Thraxton the Braggart had hesitated over this appointment, as Cabell's blood was higher than his; when old King Buchan died, there had been talk of raising Cabell to the throne, though his would-be backers ultimately chose Grand Duke Geoffrey instead.

Literary Comment: Cabell is based on John Cabell Breckinridge.

Carmoni
(SP)

Major Carmoni was the head of the scryers' section of General Guildenstern's army. Esrom and Edoc served under him.

Literary comment: Carmoni is an anagram of the surname of Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), Italian radio pioneer.

Carolus
(SP)

Carolus was a soldier of the Army of Franklin. He angrily berated a "scrawny old bugger," who looked like a teamster, for riding like he owned the road and generally being a "silly old fool." Carolus' squadmate warned him that the "fool" was General Thraxton the Braggart, a mage who would turn him into a crayfish as soon as look at him. Thraxton privately thought "sooner," but restrained himself and pointed a finger, casting a spell that merely gave Carolus a flux of the bowels. Thraxton cast the same spell on the man who had called him a braggart.

Catling
(MTP)

Catling was a soldier in Captain Gremio's unit of the Army of Franklin. When Catling was bitten by a leech in the swamps near Whole Mackerel, Gremio and Sergeant Thisbe showed Catling how to remove the leech and press a smoldering twig to the wound, removing the leech's left-behind mouth and preventing infection. Catling was so ungrateful during this painful procedure that Gremio almost wished he hadn't bothered to help.

Clark the Seamster
(MTP)

Clark the Seamster was a Colonel under General Hesmucet. When the northern General Bell demanded the surrender of Caesar, Colonel Clark refused, knowing that the blonds under his command would be returned to serfdom under brutal liege lords. Hesmucet, receiving this news via crystal, was not very confident in the soldiering abilities of blonds, but applauded Clark's bravado.

Literary comment: Clark the Seamster is based on Colonel Clark Russell Wever (1835–1874), whose name has also been rendered as Clark B. Weaver.

Darry
(SP; A&R)

Darry was a blond serf in the service of Ned of the Forest. He was an extremely large and muscular man, but short on brains. He was fiercely loyal to his master, who promised to someday free Darry from all bonds, so that the blond could set himself up as a yeoman farmer. .

At the end of the Detinan Civil War, Ned made good on his promise, although he couldn't be sure that any grant endowed by him would be recognized by the victorious southrons.

Peg-Leg Dick
(MTP)

Peg-Leg Dick was a general in the Army of Southern Parthenia. His leg was amputated just below the knee, and he was fitted out with a wooden replacement so he could still ride a unicorn.

Literary Comment: Peg-Leg Dick is based on Richard S. Ewell.

Early the Jubilant
(MTP-A&R)

Earl Early the Jubilant was an officer in the army of "King" Geoffrey. In the days when the Army of Southern Parthenia was being pushed back to the northern part of its home province, and the Army of Franklin was being pushed back to Peachtree, Early led his troops in an attack on Georgetown itself. His raid failed to penetrate the city, and he subsequently failed to protect an agricultural valley in Parthenia from being burned by Southron forces. For these defeats, he received the pessimistic nickname of Jubal the Late.

Literary Comment: Early, aka Jubal, is based on Jubal Early.

Edoc
(SP)

Edoc was a mage in the scryers' section of General Guildenstern's army. He and his teammate Esrom served under Major Carmoni. Edoc relayed Guildenstern's messages via crystal to Brigadier Thom's wing.

Handsome Edwin
(A&R)

Handsome Edwin was an actor based in Georgetown, Detina during the closing days of the Detinan Civil War. Unlike his younger brother Barre, Edwin was not known for an unhealthy obsession with King Avram's less popular policies.

Literary Comment: Edwin is based on Edwin Booth.

Esrom
(SP)

Esrom was a mage in the scryers' section of General Guildenstern's army. He and his teammate Edoc served under Major Carmoni. Edoc relayed Guildenstern's messages via crystal ball to Lieutenant General George's wing.

Falayette
(SP)

Falayette was a Brigadier from the Army of Southern Parthenia who was transferred, along with his superior Earl James of Broadpath, to the Army of Franklin to back up the struggling Thraxton the Braggart. He was extremely cautious about wondering beforehand whether something could be done, a trait which Earl James considered a blessing at times and a curse at others. During this particular campaign, it was closer to a curse.

Following the bloody failure to take Wesleyton from Whiskery Ambrose, James angrily observed that Falayette was not willing to attack or defend, and asked did he want to surrender. James suggested he might have Falayette removed from King Geoffrey's army.

Literary comment: Falayette is based on General Lafayette McLaws (1821-1897) and his frequently strained relations with his superior James Longstreet.

Both Lafayette McLaws and the town of LaFayette, Georgia, were named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. In Sentry Peak, there is an analogous town in Peachtree Province called Fa Layette, but the naming similarity goes unexplained in-universe.

George the Bibber
(SP)

George the Bibber, a Clovistonian, joined Grand Duke Geoffrey's forces as a Brigadier, although his father Count Jordan and brother Thom remained loyal to King Avram. He was cashiered from Geoffrey's army for his drunkenness.

Literary Comment: George the Bibber is based on George Bibb Crittenden (1812-1880), whose family ties and military career are mirrored by the character's description.

Gleb
(MTP)

Gleb was a soldier in King Avram's army. When assigned by his corporal Rollant to fetch water for the unit, he refused to take orders from a blond. Rollant realized that the only way to make Gleb see reason was to give him a severe thrashing, and Gleb then had to carry out his task while injured. But the lesson was learned, and Gleb and Rollant later had an uneventful encounter which was reasonably cordial, if not particularly friendly.

Graustark
(SP)

Graustark was an author of historical romances. Absalom the Bear was fond of Graustark's stories involving battle axes. Because of this, Absalom learned to axe-fight, a skill which served him well in the Detinan Civil War.

Hilda
(A&R)

Hilda was Smitty's great-aunt. With his usual joking way of speech, Smitty surmised that Hilda's sharp tongue could have convinced the traitors to stay in the kingdom, making the Detinan Civil War unnecessary.

Hiram the Cranberry
(A&R)

Hiram the Cranberry was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He was notable for his extremely ruddy complexion. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of Lieutenant General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Hiram the Cranberry sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed at the Battle of Poor Richard.

Literary Comment: Hiram the Cranberry is based on Confederate Brigadier General Hiram Granberry (1831-1864), also spelled Granbury.

Horace
(SP)

Colonel Horace was General Bart's aide. Horace was the son of a duke, while Bart was the son of a tanner. Although such a hierarchy would have been unthinkable in the aristocratically inclined northern part of Detina, southrons were more likely to promote a man of low birth due to his ability alone.

Horace was a bit spooked by Bart's uncanny ability to see the other man's point of view in a dispute, as when Bart rebuked General Guildenstern for his role in the disaster at the River of Death. Bart later reminded Horace not to underestimate the northern commander Thraxton the Braggart, whose weakness was in his temper, not his intelligence. Horace said that Bart was in the habit of bending over backwards to see things fairly.

Literary comment: Horace is based on Horace Porter.

Husham Forkbeard
(MTP)

Husham Forkbeard was a Brigadier in the Army of Franklin, answering to General Roast Beef William. Husham sent a desperate crystal message to General Joseph the Gamecock that the southrons were crossing Viper River Gap and marching on Caesar. Joseph ordered Husham to hold Caesar at any cost, and that if all his men were slain, their ghosts were to continue the struggle. Joseph promised to send reinforcements, led by Leonidas the Priest.

Innkeeper at Whiteside
(SP)

The innkeeper at the Whiteside establishment where General Guildenstern stayed on his way to the Rising Rock front, was visibly vexed that he had to pay his blond employees who were no longer serfs. Ironically, he took gleeful pleasure in reminding Guildenstern of this fact. When the General asked for a girl (specifically Lindy) to warm his bed, the innkeeper reminded the conqueror that Guildenstern's own martial success had ensured that she was now free to refuse him if she wished.

Inward
(A&R)

"Inward" was the alias of a mage from the mother kingdom who anonymously proposed the controversial Hypothesis of Divine Choice. The notion was condemned as heretical by most mages, and many threats were made against "Inward," which is why he went to lengths to keep his identity secret.

Literary Comment: Inward is based on British naturalist Charles Darwin, of whose surname "Inward" is an anagram.

Ithran
(A&R)

Ithran, a wizened, bespectacled little man, was the postmaster of Warsaw, Franklin. He had been postmaster under King Buchan before the Detinan Civil War, under self-styled King Geoffrey during the war, and intended to go on being postmaster after King Avram's men brought Franklin Province back into the kingdom. When Warsaw fell to Doubting George's army, Brigadier John the Lister told Ithran that he would have to swear a loyalty oath to King Avram if he intended to go on being postmaster. Ithran protested that there was now no other king to whom he could swear fealty, which John replied was one more reason to finalize the oath. As Ithran had swung so easily from Buchan to Geoffrey, John had no illusions that his oath to Avram would be sincere. But John's job was to enforce the law, not sincerity.

James of Seddon Dun
(SP)

Marquis James of Seddon Dun was the Minister of War for Geoffrey's "kingdom" during the Detinan Civil War.

Literary comment: James is based on James Seddon.

Jamy
(A&R)

Jamy was a soldier in Captain Gremio's unit of the Army of Franklin. In the closing days of the Detinan Civil War, Jamy was one of several soldiers without shoes, and was beginning to show signs of frostbite from walking through cold rivers. Gremio showed Jamy how to make foot-wrappings, but was sure Jamy would desert and surrender to the Southrons as so many others had.

Literary comment: As a member of the "Shakespearean regiment," Jamy is probably named for a Scottish soldier in Henry V.

Jeb the Beauty/Steward
(MTP)

Jeb the Beauty (also called Jeb the Steward ) was the commander of unicorn-riders for the Army of Southern Parthenia. He ranked alongside Ned of the Forest as one of the greatest unicorn-rider commanders in "King" Geoffrey's service until he was killed by a southron crossbow bolt during Marshal Bart's campaign against Duke Edward of Arlington. The commanders in the Army of Franklin, suffering from the lack of such a commander in their own army, mourned his loss.

Literary Comment: Jeb is based on Jeb Stuart, Robert E. Lee's protégé and the longtime cavalry commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, noted for his choice of flamboyant dress uniforms.

Jim of the Crew
(MTP)

Jim of the Crew was a prosperous merchant in Marthasville. He was tall, slim, and muscular, suggesting that he had been in the crew of a river galley.

During Hesmucet's attempt to capture the city, Jim of the Crew and his colleague Jim the Ball went to General Bell and offered to be the instruments of a truce agreement which would spare the city further bombardment. Jim of the Crew rebutted Bell's declaration that the southrons were cowards by pointing out that the southrons had won nearly every head-on battle against the Army of Franklin. This infuriated Bell, who momentarily considered arresting Jim of the Crew for treason against Geoffrey's "kingdom."

However, Bell relented and let the two Jims form a delegation to submit their pleas and a letter Bell wrote to Hesmucet. Ultimately, the Jims' offer of peace was rejected by Hesmucet.

Jim the Ball
(MTP)

Jim of the Crew was a prosperous merchant in Marthasville. He was a short and extremely fat man who was constantly seen eating.

During Hesmucet's attack on the city, Jim the Ball and his colleague Jim of the Crew came to General Bell, offering to attempt a truce with Hesmucet that would spare the city further bombardment. The Jims' meeting with Hesmucet and proposed truce did not work.

Jim the Haystack
(MTP)

Jim the Haystack, so called because of his ugly wig, was the burgomaster of Marthasville. He reacted in shock when General Hesmucet declared his intention to burn the city, which had already surrendered, to prevent the Army of Franklin from recapturing and garrisoning it. No reasoning that Jim offered was able to dissuade Hesmucet from his unprecedentedly harsh tactic.

Literary comment: Jim is based on James Calhoun (1811-1875), who served as Mayor of Atlanta 1862-1865. Much of Hesmucet's dialog in the scene is taken verbatim from William Sherman's written proclamation to Calhoun. The character's ekename is based on William "Haystack" Calhoun (1934-1989), a professional wrestler who was of no relation to the late mayor.

For Gods' Sake John
(A&R)

For Gods' Sake John was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He earned his ekename through constant repetition of the phrase "For gods' sake." He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, For Gods' Sake John sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was shot by a Southron common soldier named Smitty while leading his brigade at the Battle of Poor Richard.

Literary comment: For Gods' Sake John is based on Confederate Brigadier General John Adams (1825-1864). Adams was not related to former President John Adams. However, the analog's name is a line from a song about the older Adams in the Broadway musical 1776.

John of Barsoom
(A&R)

John of Barsoom was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, John of Barsoom sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed at the Battle of Poor Richard.

Literary Comment: John of Barsoom is based on Confederate general John C. Carter (1837-1864). John Carter of Mars is a 1910s set of novels about a Confederate soldier who emigrates to "Barsoom".

John the Hierophant
(MTP-A&R)

John the Hierophant was a general in the Detinan Army during the Detinan Civil War. He was defeated by Edward of Arlington at the Second Battle of Cow Jog. His defeat was humiliating, and he lost King Avram's confidence as a result. He was sent out to the eastern frontier for the remainder of the war, soon to be followed by General Guildenstern. Officers of the southron army shivered at the fate of the two generals.

Literary Comment: John the Hierophant is based on United States Army General John Pope. A Hierophant was a chief priest in some Ancient Greek polytheist religions, whereas the Pope is the chief priest of Catholicism.

John the Hunter
(SP)

John the Hunter led a band of northern unicorn-riders in an attack on Highlow Province, sometime prior to the Rising Rock campaign. Although they caused much death and destruction (including the death of a patriarch of a prominent fighting family), very few survived to return to the north.

Literary Comment: John the Hunter is based on Confederate General John Hunt Morgan (1825-1864), who was killed on September 4, 1864 in Greeneville, Tennessee. The fate of the fictional counterpart is never revealed.

Josh
(MTP)

Josh was a soldier in King Avram's army. When assigned by his corporal Rollant to fetch water for the unit, he made no objection to taking orders from a blond, in stark contrast to his teammate Gleb.

Jubal the Late
See Early the Jubilant.

Landels
(A&R)

Landels was a joke-loving soldier in Captain Gremio's company of the Army of Franklin. When Gremio gave the order "Come on! Keep it up! We can do it!," Landels asked if Gremio, a barrister in civilian life, would send them to jail if they didn't. Gremio did not want to make an angry scene, so he replied that his job as a defense attorney was to keep people out of jail, but he might make an exception for Landels. The men around Landels laughed, so Landels had to laugh too, to save face. When Sgt. Thisbe announced relievedly that his wound did not require healers, Landels told him that he was smart, as the company's healers buried more men than they cured. Landels also joined the chorus of soldiers cursing their former General Thraxton the Braggart for his disastrous role at Proselytizers' Rise.

Lindy
(SP)

Lindy was a blond woman, recently liberated from serfdom by King Avram's army, who worked in an inn in Whiteside, Franklin Province. The conquering General Guildenstern found her more attractive than her fellow employee Vetty, and paid her to warm his bed.

Lindy either enjoyed her interaction with Guildenstern, or was a very good actress. One thing is certain that she enjoyed the silver she got from the General. When Marshal Bart took command of the local forces, Lindy hoped for a similar opportunity, but was disappointed by Bart's faithfulness to his wife back home.

Lionel
(SP)

Lionel was a soldier in the 26th New Eborac Regiment. He had an unusually large nose, even for an ethnic Detinan, much to the amusement of the other soldiers.

Ludovic
(A&R)

Ludovic was a soldier in the Army of Franklin. After he complained of stepping in the dung of a southron unicorn with his bare foot, Captain Gremio gave him permission to pick a fight with the rider of that unicorn. When Ludovic pointed out that the unicorn didn't leave a calling card (beyond the one he'd stepped in), Gremio said he'd better slog it out along with everyone else. Rather than challenge his officer to a duel, Ludovic rejoined the ranks and marched uncomplainingly.

Marcus the Tall
(A&R)

Marcus the Tall was the southron brigadier who accepted the surrender of Shell, Dothan at the end of the Detinan Civil War.

Literary comment: Marcus appears to be based on General Edward Richard Spriggs Canby (1817-1873), who accepted the surrender of Mobile. The connection of the title "Marcus the Tall" to Canby's name is unclear.

Marmaduke
(A&R)

Major Marmaduke was a mage in Ned of the Forest's command. He was a fussy little man who always kept his blue robe clean. Ned found Marmaduke to be a useless, incompetent buffoon. On one occasion, Marmaduke failed to notice that a southron spell of misdirection had caused the troops to ride west rather than north as planned.

Marmaduke was wounded in the shoulder at the Battle of Folly-free Gap, but later recovered and returned to action.

Mead-swiller
(SP)

A General, known to be a mead-swiller, commanded forces loyal to King Avram in western Detina during the Detinan Civil War. Despite rumors that he was overly fond of this beverage, the general managed to defeat the vaunted Northern Duke Edward of Arlington at the Battle of Essoville, forever stripping the Army of Southern Parthenia of its aura of invincibility.

Literary Comment: This unnamed character's nickname is a pun on General George Meade, who won the Battle of Gettysburg.

Milo
(SP)

Major Milo, aide-de-camp to General Hesmucet, learned to take his superior's morbid, sardonic sense of humor in stride. Unlike the General, Milo was of noble blood. When inspecting the battlefield of Brownsville Ferry, Milo informed the General of the promotion of several donkeys to "brevet unicorns," and Hesmucet was amused by the wit of the matter.

Moody
(SP)

Moody was a commander of unicorn-riders in General Guildenstern's army. His cousins Brigadier Alexander and Colonel Niel were in the same army. Highlow was their native province.

Literary comment: Moody is based on Edward Moody McCook (1833–1909), one of the "Fighting McCooks."

Mort
(SP)

Mort was a soldier in Ned of the Forest's command. Ned sent Mort as a "runner" to take a message to Leonidas the Priest. Ned drilled Mort until he had the message down word for word, and sent him off.

Murray the Coarse
(MTP)

Murray the Coarse was a Brigadier under General Hesmucet during the conquest of Peachtree Province. During the Battle of Whole Mackerel, Murray sent a crystal message to Hesmucet: "I am short of a cheekbone and one ear, but am able to whip all hells yet." Hesmucet replied: "Hold the fort! I am coming."

Literary comment: Murray is based on General John Murray Corse (1835-1893).

Nat the Banker
(SP)

Nat the Banker was one of King Avram's commanders occupying Old Capet. He lent General Bart a very spirited unicorn which tossed Bart and bruised him badly, a few days before Bart left the Great River region for Rising Rock.

Literary Comment: Nat the Banker is based on General Nathaniel P. Banks (1816-1894).

Nicodemus
(SP)

Captain Nicodemus was an aide to Thraxton the Braggart. He had no love for his superior, constantly fawning in an insincere manner. On one occasion, Thraxton declared that his mere presence would frighten away the entire Southron army. Nicodemus and several other assembled aides stifled laughter by feigning a coughing fit. Thraxton handed Nicodemus some liquor to help his cough, and warned him not to experience a similar coughing fit any time soon.

Niel
(SP)

Niel was a colonel of foot soldiers in General Guildenstern's army. His older brother Alexander was a brigadier in the same service, and their cousin Moody led a cavalry regiment. Alexander and Niel's father had recently been killed in their home province of Highlow by John the Hunter's raiders.

Literary comment: Niel is based on Daniel McCook Jr. (July 22, 1834 – July 17, 1864), one of the "Fighting McCooks," who died of wounds received at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27. While the analogous Battle of Commissioner Mountain occurs in Marching Through Peachtree, the death of Niel is not depicted nor even referenced.

Norina
(SP-A&R)

Norina was a blond woman from New Eborac City. Her family had been free from feudal ties for a few generations. She married Rollant the carpenter, an escaped serf from Palmetto Province, and they had two children. When the Detinan Civil War began, Rollant enlisted in King Avram's army to put down the rebellion and put an end to Detinan serfdom. Throughout his military service, Rollant remained faithful to Norina, refusing the favors of prostitutes and other loose women.

Old Bowels
(SP)

Old Bowels was the popular nickname of a Brigadier in King Avram's army. No one called him that to his face, however.

Otho the Troll
(A&R)

Otho the Troll was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin, a brigade which included Florizel's regiment from Palmetto Province. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Otho the Troll sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed at the Battle of Poor Richard.

Literary Comment: Otho is based on Confederate Brigadier General Otho F. Strahl (1831-1864).

Peegeetee of Goodlook
(A&R)

Marquis Peegeetee of Goodlook was a Northern Detinan who followed "King" Geoffrey during the Detinan Civil War. He held several field commands, including the seizure of Sumptuous Castle in Karlsburg Harbor, Palmetto Province that marked the formal separation of the eleven provinces which followed Geoffrey from the rest of the kingdom, and along with Joseph the Gamecock had commanded the Northern forces at the first battle of Cow Jog. Afterward, his fortunes had dropped somewhat, and he was not considered among the North's best commanders. When Leonidas the Priest suggested to Geoffrey that Peegeetee replace Thraxton the Braggart as commander of the Army of Franklin, Geoffrey dismissed Peegeetee as not holding his trust.

However, Peegeetee was sufficiently in Geoffrey's good graces to become a denizen of Nonesuch and to act as something of a royal courier to Geoffrey's armies in the field. He visited Bell to warn the other general that he was in danger of losing Geoffrey's favor.

Literary Comment: Peegeetee is based very closely on Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.) de Beauregard (1818-1893), one of the highest ranked generals in the Confederate States Army, whose French surname loosely translates as "of Goodlook".

Pembert
(SP)

Pembert was a Detinan from a Southern province. Despite his roots, he married a Parthenian woman and followed "King" Geoffrey during the Detinan Civil War. Pembert became a general in Geoffrey's army and commanded the Northern forces in Camphorville, Geoffrey's last port on the Great River. After a long siege by General Bart's forces, Pembert surrendered the port. He lost his active command.

Several months later, when James of Broadpath, Dan of Rabbit Hill, and Leonidas the Priest asked Geoffrey to replace Thraxton the Braggart with another general, after refusing to replace him with Edward of Arlington, Joseph the Gamecock, or Peegeetee of Goodlook, Geoffrey offered to send Pembert to command the army. The wing commanders were horrified; Pembert was perhaps the one general of whom they had an even lower opinion than they did of Thraxton. Dan of Harvey Hill predicted that the troops would mutiny against Pembert if Geoffrey installed him. They asked him to leave Thraxton in command instead. Given Geoffrey's penchant for protecting generals who enjoyed his friendship - and this included Thraxton - it is likely that Geoffrey intentionally offered an unacceptable commander to Thraxton's discontented wing commanders as a way of ending their campaign to replace Thraxton.

Literary Comment: Pembert is closely based on John C. Pemberton (1814-1881), a Pennsylvanian whose Southern wife convinced him to join the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, after a long siege by General Ulysses S. Grant.

Price of Sterling
(MTP)

Earl Price of Sterling led a Geoffreyist raid into ShowMe Province in the fourth year of the Detinan Civil War, briefly drawing Avramist troops away from the Peachtree front.

Literary comment: Price of Sterling is based on Confederate States Army General Sterling Price (1809-1867).

Provincial Prerogative
(A&R)

Provincial Prerogative was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He was named after an ideology beloved in the north, which was one of the chief causes of the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Provincial Prerogative sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed at the Battle of Poor Richard.

Literary Comment: Provincial Prerogative is based on Confederate States Army General States' Rights Gist (1831-1864).

Reuel
(SP)

Major Reuel took acting command of the 26th New Eborac Regiment during the Battle of the River of Death, when Colonel Nahath was recuperating from a crossbow wound to the leg.

Richard the Haberdasher
(A&R)

Richard the Haberdasher was a Detinan earl. He was the brother-in-law of Grand Duke Geoffrey and a relative of King Zachary the Rough and Ready. He served in Geoffrey's army as a general during the Detinan Civil War. He was given command of the remnant of the Army of Franklin that managed to extricate itself from Bell's failed invasion of Franklin Province. Richard took command in an impossible situation. Nevertheless, he maintained order in his army as well as he could. He impressed Ned of the Forest, who was famously hostile to aristocrats whom he suspected of rising through the ranks by nepotism.

Literary Comment: Richard the Haberdasher is based on Confederate General Richard Taylor (1826-1879), the son of US President Zachary Taylor and ex-brother-in-law of CS President Jefferson Davis.

Rinaldo
(SP)

Brigadier Rinaldo commanded a division in Doubting George's army at the Battle of the River of Death.

Literary comment: Rinaldo is based on General Joseph Reynolds (1822-1899).

Sam the Sturgeon
(MTP)

Sam the Sturgeon (so called because of his protruding eyes and extremely long nose) was a Detinan brigadier garrisoning Luxor, Franklin against the forces of Ned of the Forest. Although Sam's forces outnumbered Ned's, three to one, Ned met Sam in battle at Three Dee Crossroads and smashed the latter's army "to hells and gone," in the words of Sam's fellow brigadier, Andrew the Smith. This news was distressing to General Hesmucet, who had hoped Sam would keep Ned busy long enough for Hesmucet to complete the conquest of Peachtree Province.

Literary comment: Sam the Sturgeon is based on Samuel D. Sturgis.

Simon
(SP)

Colonel Simon was the chief mage to General James of Broadpath. During the assault on Fort WiLi, Simon conjured up lightning and bat-winged demons in an effort to break down the fort's defenses. Yet Simon was unable to anticipate Whiskery Ambrose's use of wires to slow down the attackers.

Spinner
(SP-MTP)

Brigadier Spinner took over the Army of Franklin brigade formerly commanded by Baron Dan of Rabbit Hill in the fallout from the River of Death. Spinner was competent but uninspired, and the southrons were relieved to know the opposing force was commanded by him.

Literary comment: Spinner is based on General William Bate (1826-1905), with the pun "Spinner" referring to a type of fishing bait.

Stephen the Pickle
(A&R)

Stephen the Pickle, whose nickname was derived from his perpetually sour expression, was one of the senior Army of Franklin Brigadiers to survive the disastrous Battle of Poor Richard. General Bell angrily berated Stephen for retreating and not holding his ground, to which Stephen sourly replied that holding ground would have simply gotten every man killed. Stephen's forces were further depleted by Southron unicorn-riders at Ramblerton.

Literary comment: Stephen is based on Stephen Dill Lee (1833-1908), a South Carolina officer who was not related to the Robert E. Lee family of Virginia. Lee's middle name Dill is also a type of herb used in pickles, hence the analog's punning name.

Strabo
(A&R)

Major Strabo was General John the Lister's adjutant. Strabo was a good officer with a walleyed appearance and a habit of filling his speech with puns, alliterations, and malapropisms. Strabo never used a simple word if a more complicated synonym would do.

Thert the Butler
(MTP)

Thert the Butler, a Northern Detinan civilian, was a handsome man with jug-handled ears. He was staying in the city of Marthasville, Peachtree Province when Hesmucet's forces took the city from the Army of Franklin. A female acquaintance of his frantically declared that she had to return to her family's estate of Traa, which had been captured by the Southrons weeks earlier. Thert attempted to discourage her from undertaking a hazardous trip, albeit rudely, and was rewarded with a kick in the shin. He was unable to finish his sentence "Frankly my dear, I don't give a..." He became so enmeshed in a quarrel with this woman that he hardly even noticed that the Detinan soldier who ordered him to clear the roadway in which he and the woman were fighting was a blond.

Literary Comment: Thert the Butler is based on Rhett Butler, a character in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The description of Thert broadly resembles Clark Gable's portrayal of Rhett in the 1939 film. It logically follows that Thert's female companion is based on Scarlett O'Hara, the long-time love-hate of Rhett's life.

Throckmorton
(SP)

Earl Throckmorton, a captain in Colonel Florizel's regiment, took temporary command of Major Thersites' men when the latter was killed at Proselytizers' Rise.

Tybalt
(SP; A&R)

Tybalt was a soldier in Colonel Florizel's regiment of the Army of Franklin. He was full of courage and hot temper, but was not known for his intelligence. During the final two years of the Detinan Civil War, he rose from sergeant to captain.

Literary comment: Tybalt is named for an antagonist in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, see Shakespearean References in Turtledove's Work.

Vetty
(SP)

Vetty was a blond woman, recently liberated from serfdom by King Avram's army, who worked in an inn in Whiteside, Franklin Province. The conquering General Guildenstern did not find her as attractive as her fellow employee Lindy.

Wood
(SP)

Wood was a Brigadier in General Guildenstern's army during the Battle of the River of Death.

Literary comment: Wood is based on General Thomas Wood (1823-1906).

Zibeon
(MTP)

Major Zibeon, a dour man, served as General Bell's aide de camp.

=References=