Talk:Joseph C. Porter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Biography Portal
Start This article has been rated as start-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
This article is supported by the Military work group.
MILHIST This article is within the scope of the Military history WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. To use this banner, please see the full instructions.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.


[edit] Porter's Death

There are multiple accounts of Porter's death, and the edits should not privilege one over another without decisive evidence. I have maintained Mudd's and Oates' accounts. I have deleted the following, not because it doesn't belong, but because the contributor needs to rephrase it in order to make the meaning clear:

"According military recolects from General Marmaduke on display in the University of Missouri."

It would also help if the specific place of display could be cited -- Ellis Library? Western Historical Manuscripts?

DavidOaks 22:57, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Nothing that could lead to the validity of the time of death should be deleted. I too have seen these documents. You can also Google Marmaduke's Notes from Battle of Hartville.

The Hartville Courthouse contains documents that DO INDEED state that Col. Jospeh Chrisman Porter died as a result of a head wound, three hours after the battle. —Preceding unsigned comment added by [[User:([[User talk:|talk]] • contribs) 19:31, 12 November 2007 (UTC)


That's great! Scan and post them, or at least get the complete document IDs, so that we have as full a documentation as possible. What we have here is conflicting accounts, and that's not a matter of factual accuracy, so much as a matter of ...conflicting documentation. One of Porter's intimates and contemporaries tells it differently. That will not cease to be the case once you post the photostats. Neither version should be deleted, but the "factual accuracy" tag should be. DavidOaks 23:49, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

later: I did google Marmaduke and "battle of hartville" and came across Ch VII of History of Ozark County, Missouri, to 1865 (James A. Holmes University of Kansas, 1967), in which a full and detailed account of the battle is given, with Porter playing a prominent role. Porter is specified as among the 96 wounded in the engagement, and this contrasts with others (e.g., Col McDonald) among the 12 dead.[1] DavidOaks 01:40, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

I would like to see someone explain how Porter was able to submit an After Action Report on February 3, 1863 if he indeed died three weeks earlier at Hartville. Check the Official Records. I'll take Porter's own written word as proof that he was still alive over that of the other sources. He even mentions his own wounds (one of which led to his death two weeks after the report.) And this O.R. report is also included in a publication by the Historical Society of Wright County. (It contains a wide variety of contradictory reports as well, with several different dates.)

Unless someone can explain this away, the entry should be changed to the later date. Mark Twain would be amused. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Red Harvest (talk • contribs) 07:28, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

It would be great if we could get more detailed reference than "official records" -- since you have the date, I'm assuming you've read the actual report fairly recentlyl. Could you quote it and provide the cataloging info, and where someone can look it up exactly? DavidOaks (talk) 18:31, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

David,

Here is the information you requested.

The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate armies, Volume XXII, Part 1, pages 205-207 contain Porter's report. This can be found online, although I use a version on CD for convenience.

The header is: "HDQRS. PORTER'S BRIG., MISSOURI CAV., C. S. ARMY, Camp Allen, February 3, 1863."

Below is the excerpt of what Porter wrote about his wounding: "Before having completed or carried out the last order, I received information that the enemy were in full retreat from the town of Hartville, and at the same time an order to remount my command and pursue the enemy. On arriving at the courthouse with the head of my column, I found the enemy formed in the brush just above town, within 50 yards of my command. Immediately upon perceiving the enemy in position, I ordered my men to dismount; but the enemy poured upon us such a heavy volley of musketry that my command was compelled to fall back somewhat in disorder, I being at the same time wounded in leg and hand. I ordered my adjutant to report the fact to you."

It closes with: "On our return march from Missouri, my men and officers displayed great energy in undergoing the fatigues and privations necessary. Arrived at Camp Sallado, January 20, 1863. Respectfully, JO. C. PORTER, Colonel, Commanding Porter's Brigade"

On page 197 of the same is a section of Marmaduke's reported (dated Feb. 1, 1863) that says: "Here, too, was seriously wounded Col. J. C. Porter a brave and skillful officer. He was shot from his horse at the head of his troops."

Holmes in his indorsement of Marmaduke's report fails to note that Porter died (pages 198,199). This would have been something that he might have inserted in his Feb. 8, 1863 comment.

I have not tried to pin down the source of the date of death as Feb. 18, 1863, but Frederick Goman's Up From Arkansas: Marmaduke's First Missouri Raid Including the Battles of Springfield and Hartville uses that date in and Appendix of casualties.

Stephen Oates' Confederate Cavalary West of the River is rife with errors in the section about this raid--some of them rather obvious if one studies the battle. That is too bad because until I studied Hartville I didn't realize how flawed sections were. I knew it was a dated work 1961. I haven't yet determined whether the faulty account of Porters' death it relies upon came from Edwards or from Moore. (Those are the notes Oates listed about it.) Red Harvest (talk) 05:24, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

Excellent work, Red Harverst -- I entered the new information and removed the dispute tag. DavidOaks (talk) 18:35, 23 November 2007 (UTC)



I would like to see someone explain how Porter was able to submit an After Action Report on February 3, 1863 if he indeed died three weeks earlier at Hartville.

I read the report quite carefully. The University of Missouri has the report, along with this report is a footnote that CLEARLY states........"This report may have been written by one of Porter's men after his death and may not have been written by Col. Porter himself." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.172.193.200 (talk) 16:26, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

I'll let the "disputed" tag stand for a little bit while you go back and get a better citation than "the University of Missouri has the report" -- what we need is an item title with a call number for the item in either Ellis Library or the State Historical Library, and ideally a photostat (this is a strong claim, and strong claims require strong evidence). It would be exceeedingly strange for one of Porter's men to have written a report in the first person, referring to Porter. DavidOaks (talk) 17:07, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Why do you not want to start a fight about what other people are saying. I think that this is nonsense. Clearly there are other sources out there that indicate that Mr. Porter did die at the Battle of Hartville. There are also facts that Porter died in AR several weeks after the battle. I have given reference to several articles and reports (that keep getting deleted I might add) that seem to go unoticed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.185.21.194 (talk) 23:02, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

  • Oates, Stephen B. Confederate Cavalry West of the River: Raiding Federal Missouri. U-TX, 1961, rpt 1992.

This right here is enough to dispute the time and place of death of Porter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.185.21.194 (talk) 23:05, 24 December 2007 (UTC)


Did just find death certificate of Porter's son. Porter's son died in May 29th 1940 and was IN FACT buried at Porter's Cemetery in Competition, MO he died at Wallace Memorial Hospital (is now St. John's Hospital)

Thanks, but of course, that's not Porter, and even if it were, we just have your word -- we'd need a photostat or at least a document number (both are available online for deaths prior to 1951 for Missouri). Now, we still need the documentation requested for JCP himself. Remember, we're making an encyclopedia here, and the way things stand, there is an unsubstantiated opinion that Porter died and was buried near Hartville, against much stronger documentation that he died and was buried elsewhere. BTW, plenty of cemeteries list burials that didn't happen, as well as failing to list burials that did -- every serious genealogist knows it.

May I suggest that everybody involved in the discussion get himself/herself a username? DavidOaks (talk) 05:45, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

The record I am talking about, IS on file you can view it at www.sos.missouri.gov The record is there! Your right this is an encyclopedia that is being written. That is why ALL facts must be accurate. If there are some facts that are different they need to be looked into. The dispute tag should remain, becuase there are records that indicate what other records show. Just because a book says that Porter died in AR does not mean he did. Another book suggests otherwise, this too could be wrong, but we just don't know that. No one seems to know where Porter is buried (or for that matter any of his family). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.172.193.206 (talk) 21:54, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but the record you're referring to concerns the death and burial of Porter's son, correct? That wouldn't shed any light on Porter's resting place. So let's just set that aside.
Now, the person or persons (please get usernames!) who claim there is documentary evidence "at the University of Missouri" or "at the LacClede County library" have been asked, a number of times, over the course of several months, to provide direct quotation, or a photostat, along with document title, page number and call number. The present state of things is, we have one demonstrably unreliable source against multiple others -- including personal friends of Porter's, and a report in Porter's own first-person narration. An encyclopedia might reasonably note that there are claims which contradict the bulk of reliable evidence, but it should not treat all claims as having equal merit. We're all interested in making the article as accurate as possible; I don't quite understand the passion for sustaining the minority point of view here -- it seems decreasingly credible, and yet it also seems to be very important to some -- I don't know why. DavidOaks (talk) 20:58, 26 December 2007 (UTC)


Did it ever occur to you that this might be the Porter Family. The signifigance of Porter's son is very relavent, why would his son want to be buried in a little cemetery in Missouri when he lived in AR? This raises some concerns. No one, can seem to come up with any document as to where Porter himself is buried. As to the MU files, did it ever occur to you to wait a little bit, while we try to get a copy of it, NO! You just have a copy of a book (written by one of Porter's soldiers) and a report (that you have no proof of whatsoever, the only proof is someone wrote at the bottom "Porter wrote this."). mean, c'mon. I am not trying to start a fight. But this is getting ridiculous. You are clearly "ignoring" the fact that I did find some proof that Porter died in Hartville, MO one hour after being shot. That's enough to dispute the time of death, and it should be left at that! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.185.21.194 (talk) 21:39, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

No, we don't want a fight, and yes, I am giving you time to find the documentation you recall seeing -- that's why I've left the "disputed" tag alone, as I said. And yes, it certainly occurred to me that I was dealing with a member or members of Porter's family, which certainly creates a personal stake, but from the standpoint of documentation, it just doesn't matter -- and may even cloud things (determinations of fact should be objective, not personal). So let's get the documentation, or if it doesn't turn up, let's collaborate on phrasing that will accurately reflect the state of the question. Merry Christmas! DavidOaks (talk) 22:19, 26 December 2007 (UTC)


You say that you are waiting on documentation that's why you left the disputed tag?????? WHAT????? Your very last statement is "So let's get the documentation" Good golly, your one of those people who don't understand what they even wrote themsleves aren't you. You say that you are willing to wait, but yet it's "So let's get the documentation." GIVE IT A BREAK!!!! WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING IT!!!! Good Grief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. The findings we are giving ARE based on facts not personal. Actually we could care less where Porter was buried, but from a history standpoint, we want to know the truth. (which could VERY WELL BE, that Porter DID make it to AR before he died. But, with all of the argumentitive findings that we see, we just don't know (Let me save you some typing "So let's get the documentation" "Patience is a Virtue!") —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.172.193.236 (talk) 01:22, 27 December 2007 (UTC)

I've been searching pretty hard on my end, and I did come up with a roadside historic marker that says Porter was killed at Hartville. However, against that, I also came up with the following; each of the items below seems to me compelling evidence that Porter survived a considerable time after the battle, and the last item seems to me completely decisive. What do others think? DavidOaks (talk) 20:41, 27 December 2007 (UTC)
  • “Here Emmett McDonald and Col. John M. Wymer, of St. Louis, both were killed and Col. Joe Porter mortally wounded, dying afterward, a week or so, near Little Rock”
source: (Holcombe, R.I., History of Greene County, 1883, Chapter 12.)
http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/history/holcombe/grch12pt2.html

accessed 12-28-07

  • “The Rebel colonel Joseph C. Porter was also wounded and died of his wounds at Batesville Arkansas on February 18, 1863. ” O.R. vol 22 pt. 1:189-91, 197, 199. Eakin, Branded as Rebels, 323.
source: The Reluctant Cannoneer: the Diary of Robert T. McMahan of the Twenty-Fifth Independent Ohio Light Artillery, ed. Michael E. Banasik (Unwritten Chapters of the War West of the River, II), Press of the Camp Pope Bookshop, p. 145, note 29
  • J.O. Shelby, commanding the cavalry brigade at Hartville, reported on January 31 to General Marmaduke of Porter’s contributions to the battle, but does not mention Porter among the casualties he enumerates.
source: http://www.pddoc.com/skedaddle/010/0063.htm
accessed 12-28-07
  • Marmaduke himself reported from Batesville AR on January 18, and he specifies two officers killed, Porter not among them.
source: http://www.cwnorthandsouth.com/14thMo16.htm
accessed 12-28-07


Major G.W.C. Bennett, commanding MacDonald’s Missouri Regiment of Cavalry reported on January 29: On the 11th, after the Battle of Hartville (where he notes the death of Col. MacDonald), they marched 7 miles; on the 12, they marched 17 miles, on the 13th they marched 23 miles, on the 14th they rejoined the main column and marched another 9 miles (details of severe weather included) A participant in the Battle of Hartville, he states “On the morning of the 15th, I was ordered to march in rear of Colonel Shelby and in advance of Colonel Porter, which I did, camping about 3 p.m.; marched 15 miles.”
  • Writing from HEADQUARTERS MACDONALD'S CAVALRY REGIMENT,
Camp Horton, January 29, [1863.],
G. W. C. BENNETT,
Major, Comdg. MacDonald's Missouri Regiment of Cavalry.
O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXII/1 [S# 32]
DECEMBER 31, 1862--JANUARY 25, 1863.--Marmaduke's expedition into Missouri.
No. 12.--Report of Maj. G. W. C. Bennett, MacDonald's Missouri Cavalry (Confederate.)
source: http://www.geocities.com/captainbob61/bennett.html
accessed 12-28-07
This would seem to me decisive evidence that Porter did not die at Hartville, as he is able to lead a column three days later, and his death is not mentioned as of January 29 (though the death of another leader is given considerable attention).
Note: "O.R." stands for the U.S. War Department’s The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 Volumes in 128, Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1880-1901. —Preceding unsigned comment added by DavidOaks (talk • contribs) 20:48, 27 December 2007 (UTC)


Question: I really am not trying to be argumentative here, but, where is this roadside marker? I live just outside of Hartville. Have most of my life. I have never seen no such marker. There is the marker on the courthouse about the battle. But, it mentions nothing about Porter dying (maybe). I will take a picture of that one tomorrow. Another Question: If they put the marker there, they must have had some evidence that he did die there. Has anyone contacted the courthouse or the adjoining library, to see where they get their sources? Just a Question. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.172.193.196 (talk) 00:08, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

Here's the text, followed by the URL:

Moore's Mill MO168

A battle which was significant is determining the possession of Missouri in the Civil War was fought July 28, 1862 in the eastern part of Callaway County. The battlefield was about one-half mile south of the village of Calwood, known at that time as Moore's Mill.

The battle was the result of the coming into Callaway County of Colonel Joseph C. Porter, a Confederate who came down from Audrain County with approximately one hundred twenty-five horsemen. He encamped at Brown's Spring, two miles northwest of the present village of McCredie and on the Auxvasse Creek. There he was joined by sixty-five members of the Black Foot Rangers from Boone and Randolph Counties. The same day, Captain Alvin Cobb arrived with seventy-five men, making a total of approximately two hundred sixty.

Captain Odom Guitar, stationed at Federal headquarters in Jefferson City, received word of this movement and immediately departed for Brown's Spring with one hundred thirty-five infantrymen. In Fulton, he picked up fifty additional troops and proceeded to Brown's Spring. Meanwhile, Colonel Porter had moved down the Auxvasse Creek below the village of Moore's Mill and had then come up to the road which ran south from that place. At Brown's Spring, Guitar was joined by Lt. Col. Shaffer with five hundred men and two pieces of artillery. This force, numbering now seven hundred forty, followed Porter and his troops down the Auxvasse Creek south of Calwood where a battle was joined at noon. It continued with varying fortunes until four o'clock at which time Porter has exhausted his ammunition and withdrew from the field. He was not followed by Guitar. This battle prevented Porter from joining up with General Sterling Price, and his drive to capture Missouri for the South.

Determining the number of dead and wounded is very difficult in view of the disparity between the reports of the two commandments. As nearly as can be judged, it would appear that probably between seventy-five and one hundred men were killed outright and probably three or four times that number received wounds of various degrees from which many died.

A large number of killed were buried beside the Fulton-Calwood Road only a few hundred yards west of calwood.

Colonel Porter returned to North Missouri after the battle, continued to serve the Confederate cause, and was killed janurary 11, 1863 at the battle of Hartville in Wright County. Colonel Guitar attained the rank of General, served throughout the war, and at its conclusion returned to Columbia where he resumed the practice of law and lived until 1909.

Down throught the years, numerious bullets and shell fragments, etc., have been found on the site of the battlefield.

http://www.historicmarkers.com/tag/Joseph_C._Porter/

The marker is in Callaway County, on Route JJ about half a mile south of State Road Z (which in turn takes off south to Fulton from I-70 maybe 8 miles east of Kingdom City). It's very recent -- it's part of the "Gray Ghosts" project launched just a little over a year ago, so this isn't anything very close to the historical events. DavidOaks (talk) 01:34, 28 December 2007 (UTC)http://www.fultonsun.com/articles/2006/05/14/news/231news11.txt

[edit] Review of sources

OK, I’ve been over Eakin (Branded as rebels : a list of bushwhackers, guerrillas, partisan rangers, confederates and southern sympathizers from Missouri during the war years / compiled by Joanne Chiles Eakin & Donald R. Hale. Lee's Summit, MO : J.C. Eakin & D.R. Hale, 1993). The apparatus is amateurish and useless, and the entry on Porter (p. 353) does not specify the source for the death date (Feb 18), though they give as general sources 1) the 1884 History of Shelby County, 2) the 1887 History of Knox County, 3) the O.R. and 4) Carolyn Bartels’ The Civil War in Missouri Day by Day 1861-1865 (Shawnee KS 1992). Both Eakin and Bartels must be relying on Knox and Shelby; OR does not give Feb 18 or any other date for Porter’s death. Bartels does not give a death date for Porter, lists him as wounded “and left behind” on the 10th, gives no sources.

I’ve looked at every reference to Porter in the OR (call # E464.U6 1985). Th. H. Holmes wrote to Gen’l Marmaduke on Feb 27 asking how Porter was to be replaced, but that really doesn’t tell us anything. (OR I.22.pt. 2, p. 790).

Another confirms the dominant view: S.H. Boyd, commanding the post and district of Rolla, reports on March 6, 1863 “Col. Porter died near Batesville.” (OR I.22, pt. 2, p. 145).

Now comes something interesting (OR I.22 pt. 2 p. 49) is a letter written at Houston MO from Brig. Gen’l Fitz Henry Warren to Col. N.P. Chipman, Chief of Staff, St. Louis MO HQ on Jan 16, 1863. He is relaying a report from a Lt. Brown of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry, who had been captured and then paroled by the Confederates: “[The rebels] are to rendezvous at Batesville […] they buried an officer near Barrett’s farm, on Clark Creek, 10 miles below Hartville, whom he [Brown] has no doubt is Porter. He saw him after he was brought from the field. He was then insensible, and said to be mortally wounded.” This speculation is affirmed as fact in Fitz Henry Warren’s report (O.R. vol 22 pt. 1:189-91, see below).

In the report, Lt Brown came in “last night” (i.e., on the 15th), having been released on the North Fork of the White River, near Indian Creek, 45 miles below Hartville. He reports that they marched towards Houston, then turned south and headed towards Arkansas. Brown had been captured early on the morning of the battle about 7 miles west of Hartville.

Now, we have a report that says Lt Brown saw somebody being buried, and he is sure it was Porter. But against that, we have Bennett’s report indicating Porter was still with his troops 83 miles from Hartville.

The following are cited as refs for various dates:

O.R. vol 22 pt. 1:189-91: Writing from Houston, January 16, U.S. General Fitz Henry Warren mentions Porter among the Confederate commanders, then “Col Porter, mortally wounded, since dead.” However, he is relying on the report of Lt. Brown (OR I.22 pt. 2 p. 49, see above -- whom he mentions and quotes).

O.R. vol 22 pt. 1:197, Marmaduke writing from Batesville Feb 1 enumerates slain officers, and mentions Porter as “seriously wounded”

O.R. vol 22 pt. 1:199 – no mention of Porter’s death

O.R. I vol 22 pt. 1 205-07: The after-action report is dated from Camp Allen, dated Feb 3, signed Jo C. Porter; there is no note suggesting the report was written by anyone else.Italic text It is countersigned by General Marmaduke, who presumably would have mentioned the fact that Porter had died between writing/dictating the report and Marmaduke’s approval of it.

In sum: we have a single speculative report that an observed burial was probably Porter’s which then gets repeated as fact. Against this, we have eyewitness mention of Porter still at the head of his troops, a mention of him by his commander, three weeks later, as wounded rather than killed, and his own report in the first-person, three weeks later. I cannot see any basis for maintaining the claim that he died and was buried at Hartville, and propose that the “dispute” tag be removed. DavidOaks (talk) 16:51, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

You yourself have brought many more questions as to the death of Porter. I am going to be in the area of Houston tomorrow, I am going to look around the confederate cemeteries that I know of. The dispute tag should not be removed, since there now is even more speculation as to the time of death of Porter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.185.21.194 (talk) 21:12, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

I don't understand -- evidence for one claim has been shown unreliable, evidence for the other strengthened by multiple independent sources. I didn't bring questions, but evidence, and it's all on one side. I do not know what you mean by "there now is even more speculation." A "dispute" tag does not mean "there is at least one person who rejects the evidence;" if there is increased evidence for the January date, strong enough that it overcomes an eyewitness account, the dispute tag should remain. If not, it should go. Let us know what you find, and if it's good evidence, let's incorporate it.

To clarify: here's what we, as historians collaborating in a search for the most relaible account, are looking for: a piece of evidence besides Oates' and Holmes' reliance on the speculation of a paroled lieutenant that somehow does away with the following three independent items, any one of which should be decisive in itself: 1) an eyewitness account that Porter was leading a column on the 15th 83 mi from Hartville; 2) Marmaduke's reference to Porter as wounded rather than numbering him among the dead and 3) Porter's own first-person claim that he made it to Arkansas. Those three items are very compelling evidence, and all that stands against them what is ultimately a single item of speculation, however often repeated. If that preponderance of evidence cannot be overcome, the dispute tag should go.

Meanwhile, I again suggest that those involved in the discussion get usernames. DavidOaks (talk) 21:15, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Disputed date

I edited the page to reflect what I thought was an overwhelming weight of evidence. However, I see that a call for mediation was at least considered (added, then deleted) and that suggests we have more to discuss. I am reverting the main page to an earlier version so that we can let that discussion run its proper course, and to see if we can reach consensus. DavidOaks (talk) 03:22, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

With no response since the 7th, I have reverted to the version which has the best documentation. If hard evidence for the Jan 11 date comes forward, we'll of course want to revisit the matter. DavidOaks (talk) 17:16, 15 January 2008 (UTC)


The follwing letter is from Mr. Jim Kunts, who has also been following Porter's death

Michael, Wow! Did I stir up something or what? I have received numerous responses and opinions as to where, what and how....but none, absolutely none of the responses can back up their claim with any form of documentation. You probably have the same information in the heated debates on the site to which you refered. These answers vary from buried at Hartsville to every 10 yards until you are well within Arkansas. I did find however, a paper back book put out by Wright County Historical Society in 1997. It is 153 pages of newspaper articles and documents about the battle and from the time of the battle of January 11, 1863. Hartsville is in Wright County.

Book: "The Civil War Battle fo Hartsville and related Events." Wright County Historical Society. 1997; 153 pp.

My library sources do not have it, but they have put out a search to see if any mid-Missouri libraries have it on hand so I could borrow it. The book is no longer in print. I encouraged Wright County Historical Society to do another printing, and I would buy the first one. No positive response as yet. Sorry I could not offer more. I will forward anything that is solid that comes my way as soon as I receive it. Jim Kuntz www.historicalmarkers.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 150.199.195.68 (talk) 11:45, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Just to chime in on what David said. (Hadn't checked on this in awhile.) The Historical society work is a compilation of various sources just like many other similar works. It does not try to discriminate between what is credible and what is not, that isn't the purpose. There are invariably inaccurate newspaper accounts after battles that contain some truth, some error, and some speculation. Then there is "local legend"--often involving buried flags or cannon...or people. And add to that various postwar accounts by participants or other parties trying to put their own personal spin on things. If one took every incredible claim as proof or reason to dispute some aspect, the actual events would soon be lost.
Do we have anything at all credible that indicates Porter died in about an hour and was buried in/near Hartville other than speculation and legend? No! That is why authors like Robinett (MHR article) and Goman (author of Up from Arkansas who wrote studies of this campaign) don't include it. Looking back further I notice that even normally fanciful Edwards in Shelby and His Men only says that Porter fell "mortally wounded."
Mudd's With Porter in North Missouri is the closest to being Porter's biographer and says, "as far as I have been able to tell, Colonel Porter made but one official report, and that was the engagement at Hartville, Southwest Missouri where he received his death wound" (in the preface.) The introduction of the book by Camppope bookshop also lists the Feb. date of death. Mudd points out that the report is not in Porter's style and that he was physically unable to write the report (no surprise since he was wounded in the hand), explaining that he died "fifteen days later" as in after the report.
For those wanting to read the articles and clippings in the The Battle of Hartville and Related Events, it can be obtained from Camp Pope Bookshop. In it one can find Jim Gipson's very short 1969 article. Gipson does not list the source of its reference, but what he states is an exact quote of several sentences from Oates relating to Porter. In addition, several letters tell of paroled Lt. Brown of the 3rd Iowa but differ as to what he said about Porter. Brown was paroled ~45 miles south of Hartsville during the retreat with Parr's letter saying Brown helped carry Porter until Porter died somewhere along the way. Another letter by "Jeff" of the 22nd Iowa on January 18th mentions Brown and says that Porter "is reported mortally wounded." So even Brown's claim as related by others refutes the "died an hour later" statement by Oates. Red Harvest (talk) 19:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)