New Madrid: A Mississippi River Town in History and Legend focuses on
the hearts and minds of a restless population as it moved west into the
Mississippi River Valley in the 1800s. The river-port town of New
Madrid, Missouri, strategically located just below the junction of the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and destined to be the capital of "New
Spain," was en route for thousands of early Americans. New Madrid's
pioneers reveal their past and their stories through letters,
newspapers, official records, and other sources. The author takes the
reader through the town's history, recounting tales of legendary people
whose lives crossed with those of area residents. Lively illustrations,
photographs, and maps enhance the stories, a treasure for anyone whose
ancestors experienced the westward movement, participated in the Civil
War, were slave-owners, slaves, or American Indians, or for those who
are curious about American life in earlier times.