This book is the Autobiography of Calvin Smith of Smithville, Missouri. The book begins with much family history and then a narrative of the trip the family took from Buffalo to western Missouri. The trip is full of anecdotal stories of the families trials and some hardships in pre-civil war Missouri. Much is made of the history of that period and the many colorful charachters living in 1820 era Missouri.

Calvin Smith lived into his nineties and after fleeing to Kansas to escape pro slavery assasins and military search parties he returned to Missouri and lived out his days in Kansas City Missouri. He was a colorful charachter who does an excellent job of creating a mosaic of the exciting and challenging life of the time.