March 7, 1863, The New York Herald
NASHVILLE, March 6, 1863.
There was fighting all day yesterday between the rebel General Van Dorn’s command and a Union force of three regiments of infantry, about five hundred cavalry, and one battery, at Springville, thirteen miles south of Franklin.
Colonel Coburn’s three regiments of infantry were cut to pieces or captured by the rebel forces. They fought desperately, but the ammunition became exhausted, and the Unionists, overpowered by superior numbers, were either killed or captured.
The cavalry and artillery got off safely.
No reinforcement from General Gilbert, at Franklin, reached the scene of action. There were seven regiments of Unionists at that place.
Van Dorn is reported to have eighteen thousand men under his command.
Further details of the fight at Franklin yesterday have been received. Five regiments of infantry and one battery of the Eighteenth Ohio, with the Ninth Pennsylvania and Second Michigan cavalry, all under command of Colonel Coburn of the Thirty-third Indiana, advanced on Springville on the 4th inst. Several spirited skirmishes occurred during the day, our troops camping four miles distant. On the 5th a movement was apparent, and during some disorder on our left, they suddenly opened on our men with three batteries, on different points, at the same time. The enemy also appeared on each flank, in greatly superior force. The unequal contest was maintained with great determination, with heavy loss on both sides, and resulted unfortunately to our troops; a large part of the Thirty-third Indiana, Nineteenth Michigan, Twenty-second Wisconsin and Eighty-fifth Indiana, with the most of their commissioned officers, being captured. Our artillery and cavalry were successfully withdrawn. The One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Ohio was out, but returned without loss. All is quiet today. The rebels have fallen back. Their force was infantry, with heavier artillery than ours.
General Gilbert’s non-action in failing to reinforce Colonel Coburn is severely censured by the officers and men.
Sketch of Gen. Coburn.
Colonel and Acting Brigadier General John Coburn entered the service of the United States during the present war as colonel of the Thirty-third Indiana Volunteers, with a commission dating from September 19, 1861. The regiment went almost as soon as organized into Kentucky, it being during the early part of October at Bryantsville and Camp Dick Robinson. It thence marched to Camp Wild Cat, and on October 21, fought against and assisted in defeating the rebel General Zollicoffer at that place. It next formed a portion of the force that suffered so severely during the campaign among an retrograde march from the mountains of Kentucky during the winter of 1861. In February, 1862, it was stationed in or near the city of Lexington, Ky., and was afterwards attached to the Eastern Kentucky forces. During the summer of 1862 Colonel Coburn commanded a brigade of General Morgan’s division at Cumberland Gap, which division, after blowing up the Union works, made a brilliant retreat from that post through the enemy’s lines and country during the latter part of September, 1862. General Morgan’s force was then formed into the Seventh division of the Army of the Ohio, of which Colonel Coburn commanded a brigade. During January last the subject of our sketch was nominated for a brigadier general of volunteers, with a commission to date from November 29, 1862; but the Senate has not yet confirmed the appointment. When the disastrous engagement above recorded took place he was in command of a brigade of troops but recently brought into the Department of the Cumberland.