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BAN TARLETON
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WILL TAVINGTON
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Rank:
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Lieutenant Colonel, British Legion ("Green Dragoons").
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Lieutenant Colonel, Green Dragoons.
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Age & Appearance:
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In 1780 Ban is 26 years old, but could pass for younger, retaining a boyish air. A "pocket
Adonis," he's on the short side of medium height (5'6"), with auburn hair, brown eyes, and fresh
(what the Russians call "blood and milk") colouring. But for his aquiline nose, he might be
deemed "pretty" or "cute."
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Will is in his early-to-mid-30s. His contemporaries are André, Hanger (now
there's a personality clash!!!) and Ferguson. He's fairly tall (whereas Ban would be
even shorter than his adversary Benjamin Martin!), with very dark brown hair, grey-green eyes
and pale complexion. While strikingly handsome, he could never be called "pretty"; looks
definitely "grown-up."
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Accent:
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Recognisably and distinctly Lancashire, not modern Liverpudlian. (The modern Scouse
accent is a 19th century result of Welsh and Irish migration into Liverpool.)
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Regionally-neutral Received Pronunciation (result of boarding school education, or of
being shunted around the country between relatives as a "poor relation?").
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Background:
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Ban is the younger son of a wealthy shipping/slave-trading magnate and Mayor of Liverpool.
His
much respected father left him a sizeable inheritance which he squandered as a student. The only
threat to his family's reputation is whatever scandal he can generate for himself, but since he
trained as a lawyer, he should be able to talk his way out of it!
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Will's background is murky. What is overwhelming is the sense of disgrace. His dissolute
father has ruined the family fortunes and brought some kind of shame or scandal on their name,
which he is trying to repair. Driven by a desperate need for social advancement and
approval/validation by his superiors. Has probably had a longer military career.
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General Personality:
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A fun-loving extrovert and party animal, loves a good laugh and being among lots of friends.
Eminently sociable and self-confident to the point of brashness, yet also has the genteel manners
and charm capable of winning over former enemies and maintaining friendships with people
with
whom he has political disagreements. Acts the fool, especially with Hanger.
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A strait-laced introvert, stand-offish, socially awkward, isolated. Prefers to relate to people from
behind the safety of his rank. This suggests he's profoundly shy and self-conscious, which would
fit with his insecure family background. Sense of humour is of a dry, darkly sarcastic kind.
Doesn't suffer fools: would not see the funny side of Hanger.
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Uniform:
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Fluffy-crested leather helmet, "scanty, post-boy's dress" of itsy-bitsy short green
Spencer jacket with black facings and gold lace, spray-on white (doeskin?) breeches, jockey
boots. And a nice sharp sabre.
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Fluffy-crested leather helmet, slightly longer red jacket with green facings and gold lace,
more comfortable-looking black breeches, jockey boots. (Frilled linen shirt also noteworthy,
especially when unfastened down the breastbone...) And a nice sharp sabre.
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Typical Party Gear:
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Sixteenth century French costume, black and orange silk, as a "Knight of the Burning Mountain"
(Meschianza, Philadelphia, 1778). A blue and silver heavily embroidered hussar-style outfit with
embroidered doeskin breeches (Pantheon masquerade, London, 1783). Has massive tailors' bills.
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Oh dear... Will's idea of dressing up for a special occasion is swapping his plain
cravat for one with a discreet lace edge (Middleton Hall garden party, Charlestown, 1780).
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Mayhem Capability:
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Despite allegations of hot-blooded over-enthusiasm at Waxhaws, always takes a respectable
quota of prisoners. "Tarleton's Quarter" in reality means you and most of your troops will
probably live. The wounded will be paroled into medical care - as happened at Waxhaws. No
cold-blooded targetting of civilians. No personal vendettas: he's just doing his job, and he
happens to be good at it.
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Just don't get in his way when he's in a bad mood. Or any mood... Hasn't really got the hang of
"quarter" as a concept - but he doesn't expect to receive it, either: one wonders about his past
wartime experiences. Cold-bloodedly kills surrendered troops; wounded prisoners; a whole
village of civilians (mind, since they're background wallpaper characters, it's hard to care). Has a
personal vendetta against Rebel Colonel "Ghost" Martin.
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Relations with his Superiors:
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Pretty good, at least at this stage of his career. Despite being a Clinton appointee, he has made
the transition to working with Cornwallis fairly smoothly. But they will fall out
after the war.
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Will would love to be in Cornwallis's good books: he needs approval.
But... however hard he tries, he just can't manage it. Repeatedly gets harangued. Is he another
Clinton appointee who can't get on with the new boss? That would make sense.
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Relations with Loyalists:
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Good. They're his men, and when they think he's been shot at Waxhaws, they let rip. He
inspires tremendous personal loyalty.
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Hard to tell, as the only one we see him dealing with is Jim Wilkins, whom he dislikes and
doesn't trust on personal grounds. Presumably the rest of his men are Loyalists, but we don't
meet
them.
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Physical Courage:
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Ban has the "boy racer" mentality of perceived indestructibility. Bullets only hit
other people, don't they? This thesis takes a bit of a knock when he has to have half
his hand amputated, but he's soon back in the saddle again.
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Is it a death wish, or does Will simply wish to make a name for himself by
charging
in ahead of his men? Stoically goes into action at Cowpens when he already has an unhealed rib
wound, and ends up with rather worse injuries.
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Future Ambitions:
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To gain an impressive military reputation, then return home to a hero's welcome, his Mum
and siblings, and civilisation! After all, there's a table waiting for him back at The Cocoa
Tree with his radical pals. A career in politics beckons. And there are pretty actresses and
rich heiresses to woo, and heaps more fun to be had out of high society... He has a lot to go home
for!
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To gain an impressive military reputation and be rewarded with a grant of land (quite
fancies something in the Ohio valley). He likes the Colonies
(just a pity some of the colonists don't like him!)
and wants to stay there to make a fresh start, away from the
disgrace attached to his family in Britain. If he survives
his wounds, chances are he's more likely to turn up in Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick or Ontario than go home.
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Extra-Mural Hobbies:
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In no particular order: gaming, drinking, partying, whoring, boxing, horse-racing,
fox-hunting, acting, cricket and radical politics.
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Possibly has an interest in wild flowers (a green dragoon in more than one
sense?!).
Otherwise, lives only for his career. This boy needs a holiday.
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Significant Others:
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The near future holds glamorous "It Girl" actress, poet and novelist Mary Robinson. Later
marries Susan Priscilla Bertie, pious and philanthropic heiress.
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Too busy. Also too prim and proper and liable to get horribly
embarrassed.
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Prognosis:
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A life of wine, women and song will lead to gout and arthritis, but a peaceful end in his
own bed in his 79th year.
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Last seen on the wrong end of a bayonet at Cowpens, far too young, seriously wounded and in
need of copious TLC.
Let me through, I'm a doctor...
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