John Devoy
Devoy has been exiled to a foreign land and is attempting to start his life anew. But the ghosts from his past, the memory of his Fenian compatriots who were given harsher sentences than he, will not let him rest easy. Devoy struggles to clear his conscience. His life may not hang in the balance, but his soul most certainly does.
John Breslin
Breslin is no stranger to spy craft, having executed another daring prison break after becoming the Hospital Superintendent at Dublin’s notorious Richmond Bridewell Prison. While there, he orchestrated the rescue of the leader of the Fenians, James Stephens. Breslin’s motives are never in question, but his tactics are frequently suspect. Breslin is a thrilling and dangerous character, a charming rogue always on the cusp of being caught but always prepared – and slippery – enough to escape.
Captain George Smith Anthony
Anthony is an unlikely ally for Devoy and the Fenians. A whaleship captain who is neither Irish nor Catholic, he signs on not out of loyalty to the Fenian cause but because he believes the men in Fremantle deserve to be free. As an expert navigator, he believes that all free men should chart their own course. We will watch him struggle to stay true to his beliefs, struggle to manage his crew, and use his nautical skills to master the violent seas.
The Prisoners
James Wilson
Wilson is as close to a leader as the prisoners have. He’s got a silver tongue and minimizes the trouble they find themselves in by saying the right thing at the right time. Unfortunately, the task then falls to him to manage the prisoners as their condition deteriorates, to keep them in line as they begin to lose hope, and to keep them healthy enough to attempt an escape.
Martin Hogan
In his military days, Hogan was known for being able to slice a steel ingot in half with his sword. He is a natural-born fighter, ruthless and aggressive with little care for his own safety. Hogan is the strongest of the Fenians in Fremantle, physically. He’s fiercely protective of the other Fenians, but his temper often limits how useful he can be to them. After all, you can’t protect your friends when you’re in solitary confinement.
Thomas Darragh
Darragh stands out among the group as the only Protestant. While he isn’t mistrusted by the other Fenians, he is viewed at times with jealousy as his affiliation with the Church of England affords him protection the others aren’t entitled to.
Robert Cranston
Cranston has been the model prisoner from the first time he was apprehended. His good behavior provides him an edge: he is often beyond suspicion of prison officials or given enviable duties that allow him a great deal of freedom in and around the prison. He uses this to his advantage and the advantage of his fellow Fenians.
Michael Harrington
Harrington is the oldest of the prisoners, and his deteriorating health poses a grave concern for their ability to escape. As his health fails, the inhumanity of the British policies toward these rebels becomes more and more apparent. Why martyr freedom fighters when you can simply work them to death in obscurity? Will Harrington survive long enough to make a rendezvous with the Catalpa?
James Keily
None of the prisoners has struggled more than Keily has with the concept of imprisonment. He regrets his role in the 1866 uprising, and he blames his recruiters bitterly for his imprisonment. He doesn’t take this resentment out on his fellow prisoners, but he longs for release from the hellscape that he’s found himself in and he’s willing to do anything to achieve it.
Thomas Hassett
Hassett is a slippery fellow. He’s always up to something. Keep an eye on him or else he’ll slip out of sight, and it might be the last you see of him.