FORWARD This writing, although fiction, has a basis in fact. Our story involves the Mississippi River, the events that happened during the 1850s, including the murder of Colonel Davenport, the slave issue, the destruction of the steamer "Effie Afton" and the burning of the bridge, the river pilots, the trial, and Abe Lincoln, the lawyer defending the bridge. Some of the characters in the book are the author's own idea of who they were and how certain historical events might have evolved through their story.