That's great to read of your annotated version, Meryl. Please share more of those notes with us. Those B&N Classics are on sale now I believe. My copy is a Pocket West in the dime novel tradition, a book that could fit into my jacket pocket just like the books that the schoolmistress gives to The Virginian (just a hint for later!!) I bought it for 10 cents at the Casper, Wyoming, library during their literary festival in October. And, best of all, it has a photo of The Virginian right on the front (tho you can hardly see it since the book is so well used). So it's not difficult for me to visualize The Virginian. He looks much like Jack, with a tan cowboy hat, a grave expression, a red kerchief tied around his neck, thumbs hooked in his belt, a white shirt, and a brown leather vest.
In personality, however, I think TV is more like Ennis. I imagine him being rather reticent and having the maddening (for the narrator) habit of calling people "suh." I agree with you that the author overemphasizes TV's southern accent. But apparently this is done for a reason. John Nesbitt says that TV is depicted as a southern gentleman in the style of Thomas Jefferson, who was the "first Virginian." In fact, Nesbitt points out that "the man with no name" is actually referred to by name once in the story, and that name is Jeff (I'm still hoping to entice Jeff Wrangler over here eventually because of that!)
Let's hope as the story goes on that the writing style will become more fluent. I see a change even in the early chapters whenever the author talks about TV who is plainly his, and our, favorite character.