CAST OF CHARACTERS
American characters
Andrew Jackson: Commanding general of the Tennessee militia; later, major general in the regular U.S. army, in command of U.S. forces in the southern theater in the War of 1812.
Sam Houston: Ensign in the 39th U.S. Infantry; adopted son of the Cherokee chief John Jolly; his Cherokee name was Colonneh, which means “The Raven.”
John Coffee: A close friend and associate of Andrew Jackson, as well as his top subordinate officer.
Lemuel Montgomery: Major in the 39th U.S. infantry; personal friend of Andrew Jackson.
John Reid: Andrew Jackson’s aide.
Jacob Brown: U.S. general in command of the Army of the Niagara.
Winfield Scott: Brigadier general, U.S. Army; Brown’s top subordinate officer.
Patrick Driscol: Sergeant, U.S. Army.
Anthony McParland: Private, U.S. Army.
Henry Crowell: Freedman; teamster, owning his own wagon.
John Pendleton: Corporal in the Baltimore United Volunteers, a militia dragoon unit.
William Simmons: Accountant, formerly employed in the War Department.
Charles Ball: Freedman; U.S. Navy gunner.
Joshua Barney: Commodore, U.S. Navy.
William Winder: Brigadier general, U.S. Army; in command of the defense of Washington, D.C.
John Armstrong: U.S. Secretary of War.
James Monroe: U.S. Secretary of State.
James Madison: President of the United States.
Francis Scott Key: Lawyer and poet.
Marie Laveau: New Orleans voudou queen.
John Quincy Adams: U.S. negotiator at the peace talks with the British being held in the Belgian city of Ghent; son of John Adams, the second president of the United States.
David Morgan: Brigadier general; commander of U.S. forces on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans campaign.
Daniel Patterson: Commodore, U.S. Navy; in command of American naval forces during the New Orleans campaign.
Indian characters
The Ridge: A major Cherokee chief; took the name Major Ridge after the battle of the Horseshoe Bend.
John Ross: Young Cherokee leader; very influential in the tribe, although not a chief.
Sequoyah: Cherokee warrior; developer of the Cherokee written language.
William Weatherford: Principal war leader of the Red Stick faction of the Creeks during the Creek War; also known as Chief Red Eagle.
Tiana Rogers: Niece of Cherokee chief John Jolly.
James and John Rogers: Tiana’s half-brothers.
Captain John Rogers: Father of Tiana, James and John; although a Scots-American, he was an informal member of the Cherokee tribe and adviser to John Jolly; his nickname was “Hell-Fire Jack.”
Nancy Ward: Leader of the Cherokee women’s council, holding the title of Ghighua, “War Woman” or “Beloved Woman.”
British characters
Phineas Riall: Major general, commander of British forces on the Niagara front.
George Cockburn: Rear admiral, British navy.
Robert Ross: Major general, commander of British army forces in the Chesapeake Bay campaign.
Sir Alexander Cochrane: Vice admiral, in top command of Britain’s operations against the U.S. south of Canada.
William Thornton: Colonel, in command of the 85th Foot Regiment.
Sir Edward Pakenham: Major general; replaces Robert Ross as commander of British land forces in the New Orleans campaign.
Samuel Gibbs: Major general; Pakenham’s top subordinate.
James Money: Captain, Royal Marines.
Thomas Mullins: Lieutenant colonel; commander of the 44th Foot Regiment.
Robert Rennie: Colonel; commander of the 43rd Light Infantry.