I had wondered why this work doesn't ever seem to be referenced. I guess that is why this account of the Battle seemed to be "New". Still it would seem that some of the details could either be proven or debunked by other sources, such as the records of the "Blackhawk".

As I did remark Porter wasn't there so he had to have gotten his information from others. So he wasn't writting a first person eyewitness account. I have run into other late in life writer (like Lt. Buck Walton, 21st Texas Cavalry) who everybody discredited also, because he seemed to personally engrandize his exploits. But it would seem from Hindmans Telegraph he does appear to have been doing some of the things he said.

There were several authors who wrote credited works for various reasons. The greatest collection of these accounts of personal engrandizement were the battle reports of both side contained in the O.R.'s.