Dick Owens
Dick is a rich and handsome white Kentucky man in his early twenties. He is the presumed heir of his slaveholder father's estate. He is clever, but lacks ambition. To impress local belle Charity Lomax, Dick hopes to set one of his father's slaves free in Canada. His plan is stymied by Grandison's undying loyalty and disinclination to escape despite the many opportunities Dick gives him. Dick solves the problem by paying someone to kidnap Grandison. Upon return to Kentucky, Charity marries Dick, saying someone so reckless needs a wife to look after him.
Grandison
Grandison is one of Colonel Owens's slaves. Extremely deferential to his owner, Grandison gives Colonel Owens the impression he prefers the reliable comforts of being enslaved to the risks associated with freedom. During the trip north with Dick, Grandison does not escape and rejects the arguments of abolitionists, even when Dick takes him to Canada, where he is legally a free man. Around Dick, Grandison expresses frustration and fear that he will be abducted. Three weeks after Dick arranges to have Grandison kidnapped, the latter returns to Kentucky with a tale of his kidnapping. He is set up with a place among the house servants and allowed to marry a maid named Betty. Three weeks later, he escapes back to Canada via the Underground Railroad, bringing Betty and the rest of his family with him.
The nature of Grandison's character is essentially the story's plot: while initially he appears almost comically deferential, loyal to his owner, and afraid of freedom, the plot twist reveals that this deference was a show, his desire for freedom led him to plan carefully, and that his loyalty was in fact to his family.
Colonel Owens
Colonel Owens is a rich slave owner and the father of Dick Owens. He likes to think that he takes very good care of his slaves and that his slaves are content to be "protected" and cared for by him. When Dick announces that he would like to take a trip up north and that he needs someone to attend to him, the Colonel gives him Grandison, rather than Dick’s normal personal attendant Tom, because he does not trust Tom. His spirit is broken when he learns that Grandison has escaped, but his confidence is restored when Grandison returns after three weeks. However, eventually the Colonel’s beliefs about his slaves are shaken to the core when, after being given more privileges at the plantation, Grandson and his family flee to Canada.
Charity Lomax
Charity Lomax is a young girl from Kentucky. When being courted by Dick Owens, she proclaims she could never love him unless he did something heroic. Consequently, she is the reason why Dick takes one of his father’s slaves and brings him to Canada. When Dick returns home from his trip, Charity is appalled to learn that Dick actually risked being sent to prison. Nonetheless, she agrees to marry him, claiming someone so reckless needs a wife.
Tom
Tom is a young mixed-race slave who serves as a personal attendant to Dick Owens. He is Dick’s first choice when he is deciding whom to set free, but the Colonel does not allow him to go on the trip, knowing Tom is certain to try to escape.
Betty
Betty is a slave who is forced to work as Dick's mother's maid. Betty marries Grandison after he returns from Canada. Later, she escapes with him.
