Having a reputation for honesty and common sense, Coltman worked long hours throughout the summer of 1817 to gather evidence and take depositions from both sides in the Seven Oaks battle, and to bring the perpetrators before the courts in eastern Canada. His diligence resulted in a report which concluded that the Selkirk party fired on the Métis first, and had initiated the battle that resulted in their own deaths. Today, Coltman's report is praised for its thoroughness, accuracy, and relative impartiality.

Despite its objectivity, the report has seen little of the light of day. Most writers and historians use published secondary accounts of the battle which usually interpret the Métis victory as a savage massacre. Historian Lyle Dick believes this reinterpretation has served the English-speaking community well, helping to justify the dispossession of Red River Métis lands and promoting a position more suitable to their own ethnic group. In other words, it is much easier to justify taking land from a community when it is perceived as hostile and savage.

Part of the problem, however, also lies in the difficulty of using archival records. There is only one copy of the Coltman report and it is found in Ottawa. Published secondary sources, however, are much more accessible to researchers through the public library system.