Chamberlain also authored and illustrated a harrowing autobiographical account of his travels during the 1840s, especially his service in the Mexican–American War and his adventures with the Glanton gang, entitled "My Confession: The Recollections of a Rogue", which he wrote between 1855 and 1861. Though many of its stories are exaggerated in the romantic literary style popular at the time, research has corroborated most of them as true. Noted for its authentic descriptions of the experiences of the typical American soldier during the Mexican–American War, Chamberlain's account continues to serve as a valuable primary source text for historians studying the war and the era as a whole. The account also served as the basis for author Cormac McCarthy's 1985 novel "Blood Meridian"; the novel's protagonist, known only as "the kid", is said to be loosely based on Chamberlain.