The war between the North and the South takes hold on the Freeman.

As the Fitzgeralds struggle to make it through the winter of 1862-1863 after a poor year of boating on the C&O Canal, the Civil War draws ever closer to being fought aboard the Freeman. George Fitzgerald's unexpected return from the battles of the Civil War pits him against David Windover, an ex-Confederate spy, who now works and lives with the Fitzgeralds.

Alice Fitzgerald struggles to hold her family together as a vindictive sheriff and a haughty doctor's wife work to tear them apart. Tony, the street urchin from Cumberland, has found a life aboard the Freeman, but Sheriff Lee Whittaker has other ideas for the ex-thief. Elizabeth is growing older and finding herself torn between the canal and becoming a lady.

Together, the Fitzgeralds have met every obstacle, but how will they fare if the divisive forces around them separate them?