A battle starts, lots of stuff happens, the battle ends. There is an outcome to the battle and the story goes on. This in most cases would be enough. Within the battle there is however a world of scope for detail, and a battle being a unique environment it can be used with great effect to focus...
Its an easy, convenient method of adding body to a tale or character. I wouldn't use it myself though, to me it somehow seems like cheating. The information given in those snippets can with some skill be incorporated into the tale itself.
That inner critic can be a powerful stumbling block, but I keep her at bay by telling myself that the words can change, and often do. Just because I've committed them to paper doesn't mean I'm stuck with them, often a bad opening will itself suggest an alternative. As for location in a timeline...
Iain M Banks in his novel Transition gives an absolutely brilliant account of the Torturer, the Tortured and the Conseqences/Motivations thereoff. Definitely worth a read if you wish to use this subject matter in a non gratuitous manner.