Bull Run

Gideon Adams is a free Black man from Cincinnati, Ohio. He has light-colored skin, which allows him to pass as a white man as long as a hat fully covers his curly hair. Gideon is clever, organizing enlistment stations for other Black men in Cincinnati and crafting the plan to wear a large hat to hide his hair. He also knows how to write, which is a rare skill that many of the white soldiers do not have. Gideon is brave and determined, and this does not change throughout the novel, making him a static character. Gideon shows his bravery, first by trying to enlist despite the racist objectors in his city and then by dangerously hiding his Black identity in a company that includes many racist people. Gideon further displays bravery in the army: he is eager to join those fighting and, after fighting, he “itche[s] for the next battle to begin” (95). Gideon’s apparent lack of actual combat, however, may contribute to his willingness to remain in the army, as he has not yet fully experienced the horrors of war.

Gideon’s courage in disguising himself and reenlisting when other men are impatient to return home reflects his deep motivation for enlisting in the first place. Gideon lives in Ohio, a free state, but he still experiences prejudice and limited opportunities. He wants America to “behold the Negro’s energy and courage” (7) and “refuse[s] to resign [him]self to serving with shovel or spoon” (15). Gideon is proud of himself and his community and does not accept others’ attempts to determine his destiny. He wants to be free and respected and, for that reason, is resolved to keep fighting with the army “until the Rebels [are] beaten” (95).

Toby Boyce is an 11-year-old boy from Georgia who lives with his Grandpap. He is determined and confident, which he shows when he pretends to know how to play the fife in front of a group of recruiting officers, as well as when he later escapes from the band to join the fighting. Toby’s firmness that he needs to participate in the war, even if it is as a musician, stems from his belief that he will otherwise be left out of the glory. Toby wants to be a man and go to battle, and he believes that fighting gives a man something to brag about. 

However, Toby is immature and naive for the majority of the novel. He admits he is “desperate to kill a Yankee before the supply [runs] out” (13) and is angrily preoccupied with missing the battle. This shows that Toby does not have a real understanding of what killing and battle are like. He focuses on wanting “Yankee guns and medals and glory” (83), which does not reflect the true and terrible reality of fighting in a war. Toby is a dynamic character, though, because by the end of the novel he changes his perception. He realizes he cannot kill another person and runs towards home. Toby is confronted with what killing is and chooses to remain a child, rejecting his previous beliefs.

Dietrich Herz is a German immigrant from New York. He joins a regiment of mostly other Germans where he finally feels like he belongs, suggesting that he felt like an outsider in his day-to-day life. He loves the Union, though, because it gave him “a new life” (23). He and the other German immigrants seem motivated by their allegiance to their adopted homeland. They want to fight for the Union because it has blessed them with new opportunities they did not have in Germany.

Dietrich does not have a family, which is why he attaches himself to the photo he receives of the young woman who made his shirt and says she might commit suicide. Dietrich does not have anyone to write home to, like the other men in his regiment do, so he focuses on the young woman who symbolizes hope and someone or something to live for. When Dietrich is wounded in battle, he speaks to the young woman and clings to her photo. The photo gives him hope and allows him to live even though his legs are amputated, which shows that he has a strong inner will and ability to be optimistic. Dietrich’s personality remains static in the novel; however, because of his injuries his body changes greatly.

James Dacy is a Northern illustrator who is traveling with the army to create realistic drawings of battle for New York Illustrated News. James is artistic and has a rather simplified way of seeing things. He uses romanticized language when he is angered by the Confederate supporters in Baltimore, calling them “taunting traitors,” while the Union soldiers are “valiant volunteers” and “fallen heroes” (12). He further romanticizes the battle when he draws its unfolding from his viewing place and is so moved by the perceived heroics that he stands up and cheers loudly.

James’s idealism is challenged in his final scene when he fails to understand why the battle has shifted in favor of the Confederates. His refusal to draw the Union soldiers’ retreat and his call for men to fight reveals that while James is now able to see reality, he does not want to accept it. Further, because James has not fought in battle, he is judgmental of those who are fleeing from it. This shows that James has not truly changed because if he, an observer and not a soldier, truly saw and understood the battle in front of him, he might understand the reasons for their retreat instead of picking up the flag and trying to lead the others back onto the battlefield.