Tennessee's Partner is a rough, unkempt, and grave man who lives in the mining camp of Sandy Bar. He speaks in a rural dialect and presents a direct contrast to the camp's usual witty banter, preferring plainspoken earnestness over emotional detachment. Despite town gossip regarding an earlier betrayal, he maintains a fiercely loyal and unconditional devotion to his friend.

Tennessee is a thief and grifter who drinks to excess and frequently gambles. He embodies many traditional, lawless traits of a frontier bandit, maneuvering through Sandy Bar with a cheeky, good-humored demeanor. He relies heavily on humor and gambling metaphors to distance himself from emotional vulnerability and the consequences of his actions.

The narrator is an unnamed, educated observer who relates the events in Sandy Bar with a literary and precise voice. He operates as an insider within the community, using plural pronouns to describe collective actions, yet maintains an ironic, elevated distance from the rugged miners. He relies heavily on town gossip and legend to piece together the histories of his subjects.

The judge is a small man who serves as both the captor and the legal authority over Tennessee. He steps into the role of administering frontier justice out of necessity, wielding heavy weaponry to enforce the law. Though he aims to conduct trials fairly, he is susceptible to the pressures and irregularities of the makeshift justice system in Sandy Bar.

A woman from Stockton who marries Tennessee's Partner and moves back to the home he shares with his friend. According to town legend, she acts flirtatiously and eventually elopes with Tennessee, moving to another town before finding someone else.

Jenny is a reliable donkey belonging to Tennessee's Partner. She helps him tote dirt around his property and assists him in his daily honest labor on the homestead.