Master of the Mississippi is the story of Henry Miller Shreve, who taught the Mississippi River to fetch and carry for the nation. The book is compiled from letters written by Shreve, journals kept by his father and brother, and letters written by members of the Shreve family. It also includes records and descriptions of journeys into the Mississippi, Ohio, and Red River countries, as well as histories of various sections and time periods of the Mississippi Valley. "My father," says author Florence L. Dorsey, "was one of the children who played at Gallatin Place, the county seat of Henry Shreve, and his parents considered it their second home. I heard much of Henry Shreve from them and also from his grandson, who was a frequent guest in my own home."