Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp

Dred is the story of Nina Gordon, an impetuous young heiress to a large southern plantation, whose land is rapidly becoming worthless. It is run competently by one of Nina's slaves, Harry, who is, unbenknownst to her, his half-sister and endures a murderous rivalry with Nina's brother (also Harry's half-brother), Tom Gordon, a drunken, cruel slaveowner. Nina is a flighty young girl, and maintains several suitors, before finally settling down with a man named Clayton. Clayton is socially and religiously liberal, and very idealistic, and has a down-to-earth perpetual-virgin sister, Anne. The slave characters include Harry, the administrator of Nina's estate, Milly, actually the property of Nina's Aunt Nesbith, and a devout Christian and Tomtit, a joker-type character. There is also a family of poor whites and their single, slavishly devoted slave. The titular character is Dred, an escaped slave living in the Great Dismal Swamp[?] and preaching angry and violent retribution for the evils of slavery, rescuing escapees from the dog of the slavecatchers.