Kevin -- Thanks for adding that very important perspective on actual "life on the Mississippi."   I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know about Buchanan's book, but it's now at the top of my reading list.  One of the most promising aspects of our cultural moment, which sure seems grim most of the time these days, is that we are finally, possibly on the verge of coming to terms with the histories that most Americans have long denied or simply been unaware of (a lack of awareness that Mark Twain's published works often contributed to, as Kevin points out).  Steve Railton