The Circling Eagle Major Characters
Kate McKane. Kate, the daughter of a Clarksville Tennessee merchant,
is the wife of James McKane. She is a small, almost petite woman with dark hair, filled with
determination. Her in-laws, disappointed that their only son married a woman they considered below their
station in life, made life difficult for Kate. After the news of Jame's death in a battle in
Kentucky, Kate leaves Tennessee and travels with her uncle, Lewis Harrington, to the Grand Ronde
Valley of Eastern Oregon.
In Oregon, Kate's determination and will power are put to the test. Her uncle, who is trying to establish
a farm coop in the valley, is murdered, leaving her with the woes of adjusting to frontier life and the
struggles of her uncle's business. She must endure threats of violence and the struggles of life in a new
land far removed from her roots. Her strength will be tested to the breaking point.
James McKane. James, the only son of a wealthy Clarksville Tennessee planter, is a young man once filled
with wit and enthusiasm. After four-years as a cavalry officer in the Confederate Army, he returns home to find
his way of life in ruins. To make matters worse, he finds that he was mistakenly reported killed in a battle in
Kentucky. As a result, his wife and three children have left Tennessee for Oregon. Although his own father is now
in a sickbed, James knows he must go to Oregon and reclaim his family. During his trek, he must confront Union vigilantes
in Kentucky and a ruthless band of raiders in Missouri.
After leaving Independence Missouri, James confronts what may be his biggest obstacle of all. Through fate, he
finds himself on the Oregon Trail with an African-American Mountain Man named Wilford Johnson. Now, the son of a slave
owner must come face-to-face with his own prejudices and beliefs. Not only must he travel a distance of many miles
to find his loved ones, he must travel a difficult road in his heart as well.
Wilford Johnson.Wilford is an aging mountain man who has retired to the Missouri prairie. The offer of a
substantial monetary sum compels him to leave his home on the prairie and serve as a guide for James McKane. He has
reservations about the journey due to the fact he is in the employ of a man from the Southern slave owning culture.
Wilford has felt the sting of the white men's prejudices and has tried to avoid them as much as possible. The trip to
Oregon takes him back to the mountains he loves but the journey is bittersweet. The changes that are occurring with
the settlers moving onto the land, the strife that awaits in Oregon, brings him disappoint and danger.
Lewis Harrington. Lewis is a Southerner by birth but dislikes the aristocracy of his native land. He is a
man in his sixties but still full of youth and enthusiasm. He brings a group of settlers up from Missouri to help
establish a farm coop in the Grand Ronde Valley. His plans, and the future of the settlers, hangs in the balance as
they must deal with a ruthless local business man. The conflict costs Lewis his life, leaving it up to his niece,
Kate Harrington, to finish building his dream.
Olaf Hanson. Olaf, who is Lewis Harrington's overseer, came to Oregon from Sweden as a young man. A horrific
experience shortly after his arrival in Oregon has left him a bitterness in his heart that he will be forced to confront.
He is a most capable foreman and farmer but during a winter blizzard Olaf must come face-to-face with a grudge he has
carried for many years.
Helga Hanson. Helga is Olaf's wife. She is also from Sweden. Her unending patience and energy serves as an
inspiration for Kate. Ultimately, she must help her husband overcome the heavy burden that he is carrying in his heart.
E. G. Covington. E.G. Covington is the owner of a large freigh company in La Grande. He and Lewis Harrington
have an agreement to provide freight serves for the new settlers in the valley, but he goes back on his word and
tries to implement a plan that will give him a controlling interest in much of the area, and basically destroy the
new arrivals.
Little Deer. Little Deer is the granddaughter of a white mountain man and the daughter of a Blackfoot Chief.
When her father sends her into the white world she is filled with fear of living in a strange environment among people
that are hostile toward her. She finds a helpful friend and ally in Helga Hanson.
