O brave new world, that has such people in’t! — Miranda, in The Tempest
Here are a few of the main characters in Billy Justice. “Now” means about April 1867.
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Nathan Fairchild b 1840 near Flint MI.
Now: 27, single, US Army captain and agent of the Freedman’s Bureau; resides at Milledgeville, Georgia’s capital. After the war and a year or two of boredom, Fairchild rejoined the army with a first lieutanant’s commission and served duty in Milledgeville, Georgia’s capital. By late 1867 he had volunteered for assignment to an army unit called the Freedman’s Bureau.
Billy Justice b 1848, Lee Island GA.
Now: 30, married, farmer/alderman; resides at Belleville Point, GA. He grew up on a rice plantation, owned by Tom Terrell Justus. But the slaveowner moved his property inward when Yankee gunboats thickened offshore in 62, and Billy spent the war years in Middle Georgia. When Sherman passed nearby, Billy and six others ran off and followed him to Savannah. Then, with thousands of other freedmen, Billy moved south onto the Sherman Land, and into the community gathering around Rev. Tunis Campbell.
Hardy Hargrove. b 1803, Surrey County NC.
Now: 64, widowed, miller/ferryman, resides at Hargrove Mill, GA. Like most Georgians, Hardy opposed Secession. He lost his wife to consumption in 1858, and over the next several years he lost his freedom to a Rebel jail, his mill and ferry to Rebel arson, and his son and son-in-law to Rebel murder. Now some people in North Georgia’s Republican strongholds are promoting Hardy for the state legislature.
Kate Hargrove b 1842, Hargrove Mill.
Now: 25, widowed, housekeeper and mill/ferry helper, resides at Hargrove Mill. When Hardy was imprisoned, his daughter Kate moved to occupied Chattanooga and served as a nurse in the Union Army hospital there, where she met some Michigan soldiers. She was briefly married to LaVerne Shippey, until he was hanged by the Rebels along with Kate’s brother Horace. Her daugher Julia, born without a father, is now two.
Hiram Hargrove b 1839, Hargrove Mill.
Now: 29, married, railroad manager, veteran, resides at Atlanta. The older son of Hardy is moving up in Atlanta business circles, and Hardy is proud of his son, although he thinks him pompous: “Look at Hiram — he walks like a Yankee.”
Parvin Justice b 1834, Lee Island.
Now: 33, married, farmer, veteran, resides near Milledgeville. He had not suffered slavery gladly, and was thus deemed a “viscious Negro.” With his nephew Billy he engineered an escape from a plantation and followed Sherman to Savannah, but when Billy went south Parvin went north, in search of a U.S. Army uniform and rifle. After the war he came into a tiny farm near Milledgeville.
Roger Simms b 1834, Flint.
Now: 32, married, US representative-elect, veteran, resides at Flint. Roger was a lumber foreman — youngest bull of the Michigan woods — until Fort Sumter, when he led his crew into Flint to volunteer for army service. Roger helped lead an unauthorized charge up Missionary Ridge that some people called a turning point in the war.
Winn Simms b 1837, Flint.
Now: 30, married, lumber company manager, veteran, resides at Flint. The first leader of the Noble Mess, Winn was promoted to an officer during the war. Winn’s only problem, Beau Tower once said, was that he ain’t his big brother.
Tybee Mack b 1842, Savannah, GA.
Now: 25, married, stevedore, veteran, resides at Savannah.
Charles GF Young b 1843, Oberlin, OH.
Now: 24, married, preacher, resides at Cleveland. Also known as Little Preacher Young. Among his most popular sermons is John the Baptist, about an incident he witnessed during the federal trial of Abolition Rescuers in Cleveland.
Frank Gowrie b 1834, Albany NY.
Now: 33, married, US army major, Freedman’s Bureau agent-in-charge, resides at Milledgeville.
Those are some of the main’uns.
Others include Peter Pelfry, Donnis Brooks, Tommy Drake, Beau Tower, Bessie Fairchild, Dutch Fairchild, Mary Justice, Pel Justice, Susanna Fort, Baby Fort, Anse Hargrove, Earlene Hargrove (Aunt Baby), Cora Brownlow Hargrove, Shelby Williams, Rough Williams, Elder Williams, Allen Veatch, Paul Pierce, and a good many more.
A few actual people show up as well.
