Jonathan Weybridge is a young captain in the Vermont Brigade of the Union Army. He served in Washington, DC, on garrison duty after first enlisting in the summer of 1863. This was light duty compared to the actual battles and bloodshed in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, where he now leads a company of infantrymen from Vermont under Sheridan. Before the war, he was a professor of English literature at Middlebury College in Burlington. He is married to his beloved Emily, and they have two young sons. His vague horror at man’s terrible capabilities in war is sharpened considerably once he is badly injured in a skirmish at the Opequan River. He survives the amputation of his leg and being abandoned by his army. Once rescued by Libby, he acquiesces to the parts of his new circumstances that are humiliating—Jubilee emptying his toilet, for example—to focus on recovery.

In addition to demonstrating strength in these experiences, Weybridge is a kind, intelligent man who often compares topics to literature. Though noble, he also shows some vulnerability and obliviousness in his moral character. For instance, he accepts Jubilee’s teasing good-naturedly, as if he acknowledges that he is far from perfect, but he also shows a certain ignorance concerning Sally and Joseph’s lives as enslaved people before being freed. This situates Weybridge in a position similar to Libby’s, though from the other side of the enslavement issue; he says, “I’m an abolitionist!” (217), without understanding the reality of enslavement. He bumbles in conversation about Joseph’s life, as the man politely points out that he knew no enslaved people and has never seen a plantation. However, he learns lessons in equality sooner than Libby does; for example, he apologizes several times to Sally for making stereotypical assumptions about her work and education, and he learns perhaps for the first time how deeply the institution of enslavement hurts families after hearing Joseph describe his son being sold.

Several ironies late in the novel threaten to mire Weybridge’s arc: He strategizes a fast battle plan as Morgan approaches, but Sally falls victim to his hastiness. He survives the war, but his wife Emily dies in an accident. He thinks he may have gained Libby to love, but he loses her to Peter. Weybridge’s unexpected outcomes highlight the novel’s message that the righteous “winners” of war still lose things of value. Jubilee’s Epilogue lets readers know, though, that Weybridge puts the new resolve he learns from his experiences to use in his post-war life, highlighting his dynamic change and the completion of his character arc.

Joseph, in his sixties, is a stalwart employee of Libby’s. As a freedman, Joseph chooses to stay on at the farm rather than relocate and start over elsewhere; as he and Sally say, they were too old for the hassle of moving. Joseph is Libby’s only help with the hard labor of the mill. He is courageous and smart, as evidenced in the opening scene when he kills the rebel thief attempting to rape Libby. It is significant that Joseph strikes the man once with the shovel to impair him but then considers his options before deciding to kill him with a second blow. He chooses to kill the man because he sees no options; he may be “free,” but formerly enslaved people have no rights in the Civil War-era South. He would have hanged for hitting the man, so to guarantee the man’s silence, he kills him. His doggedness and resolve show a core of strength that helps ground his future actions, while his wisdom is clear in his rapid calculations.

Harboring the secret of this man’s death creates a common bond between Joseph and Libby, and his role as a father figure is further strengthened as he willingly helps Libby rescue and tend to Weybridge. When he and Libby travel to Harper’s Ferry together, the murders en route bond them further; more than just a secret-keeper, Joseph serves as reassurance for Libby’s decisions and offers solutions that help keep the household safe and functional. He bathes and shaves Weybridge in a symbolic baptism of cleansing that helps ease the man’s transition to the house; he lies to Morgan to save the captain; he fashions crutches and the coffin; and, despite losing Sally, he chooses to stay, eventually going back to the farm to help Peter rebuild. Joseph is a loyal and static character upon whom Libby relies to keep secrets, ease her physical workload, and reaffirm her decisions, but as an individual, he offers a model of morality and wisdom that stands in stark contrast to the actions of most of the men in the novel.

Sally is a static, steady character who, like Joseph, helps Libby in ways that go beyond her duties as a paid employee at the farm. While she is kind and supportive to Libby, Sally also sees that she and Libby will never become tight friends; the social mores of the South prevent it, despite the fact that Libby disparages those who practice enslavement. Sally’s skills go beyond managing the household to include an understanding of natural medicinal cures, which she offers Weybridge once he is brought back to Libby’s farm.

Sally is also characterized as religious, offering her Bible to Weybridge as reading material, and her influence on Weybridge strengthens as he tries to get to know her. Her cool composure and self-assured responses put Weybridge in his place when he makes assumptions about her education and capabilities. She corrects him without unduly embarrassing him or making the strained relationship more awkward, causing him to reflect on his own biases. Sally is a good judge of character and skilled at putting people at ease (even when they may not deserve it), demonstrating that she is wise, strong, and confident. In her final act of killing Morgan to save the others, she also shows her determination and strength, as well as her willingness to sacrifice to save those she loves.

Jubilee is Libby’s 12-year-old niece, who lives with Libby. She is the daughter of Libby’s brother, Robert, a Confederate captain fighting near Petersburg, Virginia, and Robert’s wife, who died of sickness. Jubilee is outspoken and bold, without a demure bone in her body. She bestows the nickname “Jackal” upon Weybridge when he arrives at Libby’s house because, she says, all Union soldiers are sneaky and untrustworthy. However, Jubilee comes to like and admire Weybridge once she sees that he is a kind, intelligent man who happens to be from Vermont.

Jubilee is clever and quick; she is the one who suggests to Libby that Leveritt Covington might have ammunition and powder, and she wisely points out that if Libby’s clothing and possessions all go to Jubilee’s room, it will tip off anyone who might come to search. When Morgan arrives asking about reports that a Union captain is being harbored somewhere, Jubilee lies effectively and smoothly without prep or practice. Although Jubilee is a child, she shows both the strength and intelligence of one much older, characteristics that contribute to her portrayal as a dynamic character with a clear arc; she learns that a uniform or a side in a conflict does not necessarily make someone one’s enemy.