Reading the Chunksters discussion

For others who might have the same problem I do keeping track of multiple characters in complex chunksters, I'm going to just keep what I hope will be an organized list of the characters in the book. In my first post, I'll try to organize the characters who appear in the opening section. Then as more characters appear, I'll edit that post to include them. I invite others to add comments in the thread on characters as they have comments on them -- with, of course, the caveat that no characters or information about them should be posted until the discussion schedule has reached the sections in which that information appears!

An attempted list of the major characters of the book, with some identification. Please suggest additions or corrections as replies to this post.

Updated through section 1870

For ladies of the club, their years in the club are in [square brackets]
WFC = Waynesboro Female College; where known, year of graduation is given
Where age has been given, it is listed as age and year; i.e. (18 in 1868).

Alexanders:
Dr. Alexander, widower
dau: Anne Alexander, WFC 1868 (18 in 1868) [1868-
son: Rob (killed in war)

Ballard, Judge
Ballard, Mrs. Mary Grimes [1868-
dau: Eliza [1868-
dau: Thomasina [1868-

Cochran, Mr., banker
Cochran, Mrs. and Mrs.
dau: Sarah “Sally” [1868- , later Rausch

Crenshaw, Miss Susan, WFC Latin teacher, retired 1868 [1868-

Deming, General, Congressman
Deming, Mrs. Tucker, his wife

Gardiner, Miss Caroline [1868-
Gardiner, Miss Lavinia [1868-
nephew: Mr. Douglas Gardiner (heading to Princeton)

Gordon, Cap John “Dock”
Gordon, Anne Alexander
their son John, born 1868
Gordon, Kate (farmer), Dock's sister, dies by suicide 1870

Jacobs, Esther, taken in by Kate Gordon

Lowrey, Professor
Lowrey, Mrs Rebecca [1868-
dau: Mrs. Ellen Tyler (and her children) [1869- ]
dau: Kitty

Pinney, Miss Agatha - WFC primary teacher [1868-

Rausch, Captain Ludwig,
Rausch, Mrs. Sally Cochran, his wife
their daughter, Elsa born 1870
Rausch, Minnie WFC student, Ludwig's sister

Reid, Mrs. Takes boarders
dau: Reid, Miss Amanda, hired to replace Miss Crenshaw at WFC [1868-

Travers, Mr. Samuel

Tucker, Miss, WFC teacher of mathematics [1868-1869], later Deming


Presumed minor characters – may be elevated to major is circumstances change:

Austen, Emma, WFC 1868
Hoffman, Frederica, beer parlor owner
Otis, Rev. Mr.
Robebooms -- owners of the rope factory Ludwig buys
Rev. Mr. Wainwright, head of boys school

This list of characters is so very helpful.

I totally agree! And glad to see you jennbunny :)

Yeah I was getting a bit lost there in the first 30 pages or so. LOL