Will is a twelve-year-old city boy from Winchester, Virginia, whose entire immediate family died from combat or disease during the Civil War. Raised in a wealthy, pro-slavery household, he is unaccustomed to manual labor and holds rigid views about loyalty and honor. He arrives in the country struggling with immense grief and harboring deep resentment toward his uncle for refusing to enlist in the Confederate army.

Uncle Jed is Will's sturdy, hardworking relative who makes a meager living farming in the Virginia Piedmont. He is a man of firm convictions who refused to fight in the Civil War because he did not believe in killing others to defend the institution of slavery. Despite facing ongoing scorn from his neighbors and hostility from his own nephew, he remains steadfast in his principles and focused on providing for his family.

Aunt Ella is Will's maternal aunt, a compassionate woman who works tirelessly to keep her household running. Unlike Will's late mother, who lived a life of leisure supported by enslaved labor, Ella spends her days doing strenuous chores to keep her family fed and clothed. She is highly understanding and harbors no bitterness about her sister's wartime silence, welcoming her orphaned nephew warmly.

Meg is Will's younger cousin, a highly capable country girl who knows exactly how to survive on a struggling farm. Lacking a formal education due to the war's destruction of local schooling, she makes up for it with a sharp understanding of the natural world. She acts as a guide to Will, teaching him how to catch food while frequently pushing back against his biases.

Hank is an older local boy who uses his size and local status to bully Will. With an older brother who fought in the Civil War, Hank values traditional displays of martial courage and physical dominance. He acts as the primary source of external conflict for Will within the community, mocking the newcomer's name and challenging him to fights.

Doc Martin is a bachelor physician who treated Will's mother before her death. While he cares deeply for Will and offers him a connection to his past life in Winchester, his unstable lifestyle as a single doctor prevents him from taking the boy in immediately. He attempts to moderate Will's harsh judgments regarding his uncle's pacifism.

James Woodley, often called Jim, is a Yankee soldier from Pennsylvania who seeks refuge at the farm to heal from injuries. His presence in the Southern household creates immense tension, forcing Will to confront his rigid beliefs about Northerners and what it means to show compassion to an enemy.

Mr. Jenkins is a one-legged local man who lost two sons in the Civil War. He holds deep animosity toward Uncle Jed for refusing to fight. His attitude mirrors the wider community's intense disdain for Jed's pacifism.

Tom is Hank's older brother and a veteran of the Confederate army. He views Uncle Jed with the same contempt held by much of the town, though his own experiences in the war involved practical compromises, such as trading with Yankee soldiers.

Mr. Riley is the proprietor of the local store and the father of Hank and Tom. He acts as a figure of authority in the small community, meting out physical discipline when he believes neighborhood boys have misbehaved.

Charlie is Will's older brother who was killed during the Civil War after mocking Yankee soldiers from behind a tree. Will idolizes Charlie's bravery and tries to handle physical conflicts using the clever avoidance tactics his brother taught him.

Enos is one of Uncle Jed and Aunt Ella's twin sons. He does not live on the farm, having traveled to Ohio with his brother to find steady work and send money back to sustain his struggling family.

Sam is the other twin son of Uncle Jed and Aunt Ella. Like his brother, he works in Ohio to provide necessary funds for his parents' Piedmont farm after the economic devastation of the war.

Beth is Meg's deceased sister. Her death from diphtheria deeply affected the family, particularly because they lacked the milk needed to sustain her after Rebel forces confiscated their cow.