At the Battle of Kirksville, Missouri, Colonel Porter and his Confederate Missouri brigade of 2,500 men were pursued by Union forces until he tried to hide his men in the town of Kirksville. Before noon on August 6, 1862, the Union commander attacked the town. After almost three hours of fighting, the Yankees secured the town, captured numerous prisoners, and chased the others away. Three days later, another Union force met and finished the work begun at Kirksville, destroying Porter'³ command. A few months later, in January 1863, Porter is distinguished for his participation in the Battle of Hartville, Missouri. He died due to wounds sustained in this action.
