"Rocky Water" is the story of two men drawn together by their opposition to secession and the Civil War. One man, James Croswell immigrates to America from Liverpool, England, with his wife, and establishes a successful life in New Orleans. As the prospects of war increase, they give it all up to flee to a more-peaceful place. They travel with their two daughters to the unspoiled east coast of central Florida, settling in Eau Gallie, which loosely translated from the French means "Rocky Water." The other, William Chesterfield, leaves the family farm in Kingsport, Tennessee after the death of his two brothers. He joins the Confederate army. His brilliant military career ends with his capture by Union forces. A daring escape leads him to Florida and a new life in a tiny settlement called Eau Gallie. The two men never heard of Eau Gallie, Florida, and at the beginning of their mutual migration were unaware of the significance this obscure settlement would play in their lives. This is the story of how their lives were forever changed.