Fever 1793 Characters

Joseph is Eliza’s brother. He works as a cooper (a barrel-maker) and is widowed during the epidemic. He has twin sons, Robert and William. Joseph is a tender-hearted father who dotes on the twins and on Nell.

Robert and William are Joseph’s sons and Eliza’s nephews. Though their age isn’t specified, they are toddlers about Nell’s age. Mattie helps Eliza nurse them back to health from yellow fever, and they later join Mattie’s household along with Eliza.

Mrs. Ludington is Lucille Cook’s good friend. She lives in the countryside on a pig farm, where Lucille takes shelter during the epidemic. She brings Lucille back to Philadelphia after President Washington returns.

Colette is Pernilla Ogilvie’s older daughter. She collapses from the fever during tea with Lucille and Mattie. Though she’s supposedly engaged to someone else, she reveals that she’s secretly married to her French tutor and refuses to leave fever-stricken Philadelphia without him.

Jeannine is Pernilla Ogilvie’s younger daughter, around 16. She quietly taunts Mattie when Mattie and Lucille come for tea, and later she openly taunts the coffeehouse as a “filthy tavern” and “grog shop.” Mattie despises her.

Mr. Brown is the owner of the Federal Gazette print shop and a friend of Mattie’s grandfather. During the epidemic, his paper is the only one that continues printing, ensuring that notices from the mayor and physicians can be published.

Mr. Carris, an exporter and a good friend of Grandfather, frequents the coffeehouse.

Polly works as a serving girl at Cook Coffeehouse. She was a childhood friend of Mattie’s. She dies suddenly of yellow fever at the beginning of the novel.

Mr. Rowley is not a real physician, but he prescribes medicines to the sick and eagerly collects his fees. He tells Mattie and Grandfather that Lucille does not have yellow fever and that Dr. Rush is being alarmist by diagnosing so many with the fever.

Dr. Kerr is an educated Scottish doctor whom Eliza brings to examine Lucille when she falls ill. He diagnoses her correctly with yellow fever but prescribes bleeding, the useless treatment favored by Dr. Rush.

Dr. Deveze is a French doctor whom Stephen Girard appoints as the physician of the Bush Hill hospital. He rejects Dr. Rush’s remedies, especially blood-letting, and treats Mattie and other yellow fever victims more effectively with fluids, rest, and fresh air.

Mrs. Flagg is a kindly, talkative nurse who works at Bush Hill during the epidemic. She faithfully nurses Mattie and updates her on developments in Philadelphia while Mattie is recovering. She enjoys Grandfather’s teasing attentions, and he promises to take her to a ball someday.

Mr. Girard (a historical figure) is a wealthy Frenchman whom Philadelphia’s mayor appoints to transform the chaotic fever hospital at Bush Hill into a healthy, modern hospital. He appoints Dr. Deveze as the physician at Bush Hill.

Rev. Allen (a historical figure) is a leader of the Free African Society and oversees the Society’s volunteer relief efforts during the epidemic. Eliza speaks of him often.

President Washington frequents Philadelphia because it is the temporary capital of the United States. When Washington returns to Philadelphia at the end of the book, it’s a signal that the epidemic is truly over. Captain William Farnsworth Cook served under him in the Revolutionary War.

The unnamed farmer gives Grandfather and Mattie a ride out of Philadelphia on his rickety wagon, but dumps them on the roadside after a doctor, fearing Grandfather’s symptoms, tries to stop the group from passing through an outlying town.

Mrs. Bowles is a kindly Quaker woman who runs Philadelphia’s orphan house. When she rides into the city with Mattie and Grandfather after Mattie’s recovery, she encourages Mattie to look for a way to help others.

Mr. and Mrs. Epler, a farming couple from Germany, sell chickens and eggs in Philadelphia’s open-air market. Mattie observes that Mr. Epler is “egg-shaped” and that Mrs. Epler “flutters” like a chicken. They are kind and generous to Mattie.