Captain Plume
Plume is the titular recruiting officer, sent to Shrewsbury to sign up soldiers for the Grenadiers for a battle campaign in France. This goal is secondary, however, to the pursuit of the fair Sylvia to become his bride without letting her know that he wants to marry at all. Further complicating matters is that Plume is ready to engage any means necessary for the purposes of recruitment.
Silvia Balance
Complications also arise from the fact that Silvia is a schemer as well: most of the play finds her masquerading in the guise of a man for the purpose of being near the Captain. As Jack Willful, she becomes a recruiter herself, drawing upon her masculine power to get young woman named Rose to help spy on Plume and either confirm or reject suspicions about his fidelity.
Sgt. Kite
The wily Kite is Plume’s aide-de-camp in the purpose of officer recruitment who tries and fails to use standard procedures involving offers of money and heroism. Failing there, he turns to a more innovative approach involving astrological predictions about great futures for those who sign up for service.
Melinda
Melinda is Silvia’s cousin who has just comes into a nice sum of money via inheritance. She becomes the romantic object of a Mr. Worthy from Shropshire. Melinda chooses to engage the attraction of another of recruiter, Captain Brazen, in order to twist Worthy from seeing her as mistress material instead of a potential bride. She is also essential to the plot as a result of being accused of writing letters to Silvia’s father which cast aspersions and suspicions upon the fidelity of Plume.
Justice Balance
Silvia’s father is also the local magistrate who presides as justice of the peace over potential recruits accused of vagrancy. One of the “soldiers” appearing in court is Silvia disguised as Mr. Willful. Recognizing that she is dressed in her brother’s uniform, he allusively transmits a message to her and eventually agrees to allow Plume to marry her.
