At the end, did MTL have a sense of vindication

[RJNorton]

In any case I consider both, Lamon and Herndon, capable of being great story-tellers and describing and re-telling incidents and memories (also those of third parties) purposefully in a more dramatical way than appropriate.

I second you, Eva. IMO, anyway, someone made a mistake here - personally I do not believe Stackpole was aboard with the Presidential party on the River Queen (although Scott's scenario cannot be ruled out based on what I have read).