Charles Hamilton (1841- July 1861) was the son of William R. Hamilton and an unknown woman (possibly a Wilkes). He was the older brother of Melanie Hamilton, the first husband of Scarlett O'Hara and the father of their son.
Biography[]
His parents died when he was still very young, leaving him and his younger sister Melanie Hamilton to the care of their paternal uncle Henry Hamilton and aunt Sarah Jane "Pittypat" Hamilton. As children, Charles and Melanie often visited Twelve Oaks, owned by their uncle John Wilkes and befriended his three children, their cousins who were of the same age: Ashley, India and Honey. It was generally assumed that Charles and Honey would one day marry.
He studied at Harvard University to be a lawyer. It is never stated if he completed his education, but since he died aged 20 it is unlikely Charles ever did practice the law.
Like most boys in Clayton County, Charles fell madly in love with the vivacious Scarlett O'Hara. At a barbeque at Twelve Oaks, he nervously and awkwardly flirted with her. Scarlett flirted with him as well, Charles being oblivious to the fact that this was simply to annoy his sister and her fiancé Ashley. When he proposed to her, she instantly said yes and her father agreed to the union. To spite Ashley and Melanie further, Scarlett planned her wedding to Charles one day before theirs, two weeks later. Her plan failed, however, and Scarlett was the only one unhappy at her wedding day, and both Melanie and Ashley were very happy for her.
Scarlett refused to consumate her marriage to Charles on the first night, and she shouted at him until he slept on a chair in the corner. They did consumate some time after, but before long, Charles was called to the front to fight for General Wade Hampton. Dreaming of fighting for the cause, Charles barely got the chance to because he got measles in the army camp. Following the bout of measles, Charles died of pneumonia barely two months after the war began.
Unbeknownst to Charles, his widow Scarlett was already pregnant at the time of his death. About six or seven months after hsi death, she gave birth to their son, who she named Wade Hampton Hamilton, as it was fashionable at the time to name one's children after their father's commanding officer.
Personality[]
Like most Georgian gentlemen, Charles Hamilton possessed a certain arrogance that based upon his birth, he would gloriously defeat the rabble of Yankees. He was naive enough to believe that the war would be won in months because the Yankees were unrefined and simply wrong, not acknowledging their vast advantage in the field of warfare. He was also quite naive in believing that he was special to his wife Scarlett, when it was clear to most people that she just married him to spite Melanie, which failed.
Like his sister Melanie, Charles suffered from poor health. It is suggested by Beatrice Tarleton that this is due to their family's tradition of inbreeding.
Despite his naïveté, Charles was a kind-hearted soul who was very much beloved by his cousins and sister. His son Wade seems to have inherited his traits of kindness, gentility and sensitivity as well as being easily scared. While it is never stated explicitly that Charles was a coward in any way, he never fought. Despite this, he left his sword to his son, who admires him greatly.
Appearance[]
He wasn't blessed with good looks, but Charles did have kind brown eyes like his sister Melanie and son Wade.
Trivia[]
- In the novel, he was expected to marry India Wilkes' younger sister, Honey Wilkes. In the film version, where Honey's character is cut, he is confirmed to be India Wilkes' beau instead.
- Like Melanie and his son Wade, he has "kind brown eyes". This seems to be a Hamilton family trait.
- In the novel, Charles and Scarlett marry one day before Ashley and Melanie's wedding. In the film, Ashley and Melanie's wedding is one day before Scarlett and Charles' wedding.
- Rand Brooks, the actor portraying Charles in the film version of Gone With the Wind, hated the character passionately, finding him weak, annoying and effeminate.