Nord contre sud

A steam‑boat chugs down the winding Saint‑John, threading through the low, humid landscape of Civil‑War‑era Florida. The narrator paints the peninsula as a liminal world—its sandy dunes and lush northern plains host a patchwork of Spanish‑American settlers, Seminole tribes, and cotton‑plantation owners, all under the shadow of a nation torn apart. The river, the region’s sole artery, carries not only cargo and passengers but the uneasy tension of a country on the brink of conflict.

Against this backdrop, a diverse cast gathers at the modest dock of Picolata: merchants, soldiers, families, and a lone enslaved woman whose fate hangs in the balance. Their brief encounters hint at hidden loyalties, whispered plans, and the personal costs of a war that reaches into every home. Listeners are invited to step aboard the Shannon and feel the heat, hope, and uncertainty that define a pivotal moment in a divided America.