Nathaniel Starbuck

Nathaniel Starbuck is a fictional Confederate Army officer, Copperhead, and the main character in Bernard Cornwell's Starbuck Chronicles.

Life before the books

Starbuck is born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of radical abolitionist minister the Reverend Dr. Elial Starbuck. He lives a relatively pious childhood, and is regularly beaten by his father, which leaves him unprepared for the outside world.

Starbuck goes to the Yale Seminary, as his father hopes he will follow him into the ministry. Here Starbuck meets several notable figures including Oliver Wendell Holmes and his son Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., he also meets his close friend Adam Faulconer, who is also studying at the seminary.

Major events in the first book

After becoming enamored with an actress, Starbuck abandons school to run away with her. Unfortunately for him, the actress scams both Starbuck and her boyfriend/director. With all of his money gone, Starbuck goes to Virginia to seek aid from his friend from University Adam Faulconer. However, before he can get to Faulconer's house, news of the attack on Fort Sumter causes a riot to break out in the streets. The crowd grabs Starbuck and another man, who turns out to be a dentist from the north. The crowd then proceeds to tar and feather the dentist, and are planning to do the same to Starbuck when Adam Faulconer's father, Washington Faulconer, rides in and saves him.

The two return to the Faulconer estate and Starbuck is eventually persuaded to...
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