The Killer Angels characters

Appears from the start

A civilian scout working for the Confederacy, observant and accustomed to moving through hostile territory. He brings Longstreet the urgent news that the Union army is nearer than Confederate headquarters believes.

Also known as Lawrence

First appears in chapter 2

The scholarly colonel of the 20th Maine, formerly a professor at Bowdoin College. Thoughtful, humane, and inexperienced in large battles, he must persuade a group of angry former mutineers to serve while preparing his depleted regiment for the campaign ahead.

First appears in chapter 2

An older enlisted man in the 20th Maine and a trusted companion to Chamberlain. A former sergeant reduced to private, he combines battlefield experience, blunt humor, and strong convictions about the meaning of the Union cause.

First appears in chapter 2

Chamberlain's younger brother and an officer in the 20th Maine. His presence gives the colonel both a dependable subordinate and a painful reminder that every command may endanger someone he loves.

First appears in chapter 3

A Union cavalry brigadier who reaches Gettysburg ahead of the main armies. Practical, sharp-eyed, and frustrated by poor coordination, he immediately recognizes the military value of the ridges south of town and resolves to delay the approaching Confederates.

First appears in chapter 4

Lee's senior corps commander and a professional soldier who favors maneuver and strong defensive ground over direct assaults. He is devoted to Lee but willing to question his tactical judgment, especially when incomplete intelligence is pushing the army toward an uncertain battle.

First appears in chapter 5

The commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, revered by his soldiers and conscious of the moral burden of command. He trusts the courage of his army and prefers to avoid battle before it is concentrated, but the gathering forces near Gettysburg narrow his choices.

First appears in chapter 5

A Confederate lieutenant general newly commanding the corps once led by Stonewall Jackson. Lee depends on him during the opening battle, though Ewell's caution and interpretation of discretionary orders make his leadership a source of concern.

First appears in chapter 6

A senior Union general whose infantry arrives to support Buford's cavalry. His authority and willingness to commit the army help turn Buford's delaying action into a major battle.

First appears in chapter 12

A British army observer visiting the Confederates. Genial, curious, and confident in the superiority of traditional military society, he views the campaign through assumptions shaped by European armies and aristocratic culture.

First appears in chapter 14

A Confederate division commander under Longstreet, respected by his troops and quick to read dangerous ground. His concern about the terrain assigned for the second day's attack puts him at odds with the pressure to advance.

First appears in chapter 15

Chamberlain's brigade commander, a young officer with an urgent manner and a clear grasp of the crisis on the Union left. He places the 20th Maine at the extreme end of the line and makes the stakes of holding that position explicit.

First appears in chapter 15

The Union engineer who discovers that Little Round Top has been left almost undefended. His alarm helps redirect troops to the height before the Confederate advance reaches it.

First appears in chapter 18

A Virginia division commander whose men have so far missed the major fighting. Flamboyant and eager to prove himself, he retains an infectious confidence even as the army prepares for a difficult new attack.

First appears in chapter 19

A Confederate brigade commander in Pickett's division and an old friend of Union general Winfield Scott Hancock. Warm, reflective, and deeply attached to his men, he faces the prospect of attacking soldiers whose cause and friendships once overlapped his own.