I introduced a new character in the still-untitled sequel to my Civil War novel A Fine Likeness. He's a sergeant from the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, the first black unit of the American army to see combat when they beat a band of bushwhackers at the Battle of Island Mound on 29 October 1862. By late 1864, he's deserted his unit to fight an evil even greater than slavery. Of course he hooks up with the heroes from A Fine Likeness!
He's a tough gunfighter who doesn't take any crap from anyone at a time when blacks got crap on a daily basis. It took some time to think of a name until one popped into my head: Sergeant Richard Roundtree.
Two chapters later I realized where I got that name from.
Am I going to keep it? Hell yeah!
Home to author Sean McLachlan and the House Divided series of Civil War horror novels. A Fine Likeness, the first in the series, is available now. This blog is dedicated to the Trans-Mississippi Civil War and historical fiction, and occasionally veers off into adventure travel when I go somewhere interesting.
Looking for more from Sean McLachlan? He also hangs out on the Midlist Writer blog, where he talks about writing, adventure travel, caving, and everything else he gets up to. He also reproduces all the posts from Civil War Horror, so drop on by!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Shafting the rebels in the Civil War!
Labels:
black Civil War soldiers,
black soldiers,
Civil War battles,
Civil War fiction,
Civil War Missouri,
Civil War novel,
Civil War novels,
writing
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Funny how the mind works. Sounds like the right name for the character! Best wishes for your writing and further inspiration.
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