Character Relationship Map: Yellowneck

Characters

• Sergeant Todd (played by Lin McCarthy) — protagonist

  Sergeant Todd is the leader of the four Confederate deserters hiding in the Florida Everglades. He reluctantly joins forces with the Colonel, investigates the smoke that leads to a Seminole attack, an...

• The Colonel (played by Stephen Courtleigh) — protagonist

  The Colonel is a fellow Confederate deserter who joins Sergeant Todd's group while trying to reach the coast and escape to Cuba. Haunted by the consequences of drunken orders at Murfreesboro, he becom...

• Plunkett (played by Berry Kroeger) — supporting

  Plunkett is one of the Confederate deserters traveling with Sergeant Todd's group and has stolen a large amount of gold from the army. His concern over the gold fuels conflict with Cockney, while exha...

• Cockney (played by Harold Gordon) — supporting

  Cockney is a member of the deserter group who wants to steal Plunkett's Confederate gold. He is extremely afraid of snakes and becomes paralyzed when near them. During the journey, the group accidenta...

• Seminole (played by Roy Nash Osceola) — minor

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Cockney → Seminole (Conflict Enemy) — Cockney shares the group's exposure to the Seminole threat.

  Cockney travels with the group when they encounter the Seminole settlement and are attacked by Seminoles.

• The Colonel → Plunkett (Social Traveling Companion) — Their association is defined by shared movement and survival decisions.

  The Colonel and Plunkett remain in the same deserter group during the trek and the struggle over burying the dead.

• Sergeant Todd → The Colonel (Alliance Reluctant Ally) — They cooperate for survival despite distrust and conflicting judgments.

  After the Indian guide is killed, Sergeant Todd and the other deserters reluctantly join forces with The Colonel to reach the coast.

• Plunkett → Seminole (Conflict Enemy) — The Seminole threat forms part of Plunkett's survival ordeal.

  Plunkett is part of the deserter group that encounters the Seminole settlement and is attacked while attempting to cross the Everglades.

• Sergeant Todd → Seminole (Conflict Enemy) — Todd becomes involved in the group's violent encounters with the Seminoles.

  Sergeant Todd investigates smoke, is attacked by a panther, and later rejoins the group during the Seminole attack on the settlement.

• The Colonel → Seminole (Conflict Enemy) — The Colonel's encounter with the Seminoles directly causes his death.

  The Colonel charges into a seemingly abandoned Seminole settlement and is shot by an arrow; the group is then attacked by Seminoles.

• Plunkett → Cockney (Conflict Rival) — The hidden gold creates direct suspicion and competition between them.

  The plot reveals that Plunkett stole Confederate gold and that Cockney wants to steal it from him.

• Sergeant Todd → Cockney (Alliance Teammate) — They share the group's hazardous escape route.

  Cockney travels with Sergeant Todd and the other deserters through the Everglades toward the ocean.

• Sergeant Todd → Plunkett (Alliance Teammate) — Their cooperation is necessary during the journey.

  Sergeant Todd and Plunkett travel together as members of the deserter group across the Everglades.

Story Analysis

A group of Confederate deserters crosses a lethal wilderness, where guilt, fear, and isolation destroy the escape they seek.

Plot Progression

1. A Dangerous Alliance — Four Confederate deserters hide in the Florida Everglades. After their intended guide is killed by Seminoles, they reluctantly join The Colonel and begin the journey toward the ocean.
2. Gold And Guilt — The group discovers Plunkett's stolen Confederate gold and the threat it creates within the party. Cockney's fear of snakes and The Colonel's confession reveal deeper weaknesses and guilt.
3. Death In The Settlement — Drought and dead deserters expose the danger surrounding the group. The Colonel's fever and hallucinations lead him into a Seminole settlement, where he is wounded and later dies.
4. The River's Price — After The Colonel's death, the survivors continue without the group's former unity. Cockney dies among rattlesnakes, while Plunkett's missing gold drives him back into an alligator-filled river.
5. Escape To The Ocean — Sergeant Todd reflects on the consequences of running from his problems before quicksand consumes him. The last surviving traveler hears the dead and finally reaches the ocean.