John Coburn
Congressman John Coburn
Associate Justice of Montana Territorial Supreme Court
In office February 19, 1884 – December 1885
Appointed by	Rutherford B. Hayes
Preceded by	Everton Conger
Succeeded by	Charles Rowan Pollard
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's5th district
In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875
Preceded by	George W. Julian
Succeeded by	William S. Holman
Personal details
Born	(1825-10-27)October 27, 1825 Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Died	January 28, 1908(1908-01-28) (aged 82) Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Resting place	Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, Section 27, Lot 136 39°49′02″N86°10′13″W / 39.8171219°N 86.1703229°W /39.8171219; -86.1703229
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Colonel BrevetBrigadier General
Commands	33rd Indiana Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John Coburn (October 27, 1825 – January 28, 1908) was aUnited States Representative fromIndiana and an officer in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War.

Coburn was born inIndianapolis, Indiana, in 1825 (the year the city became the new state capital) and attended the public schools there. Later, he attendedWabash College inCrawfordsville, Indiana, graduating in 1846. As a student, he founded the Wabash College chapter ofBeta Theta Pi fraternity, the first Greek letter fraternity on the campus and in continuous existence to today.^[1][2] He studiedlaw, was admitted to the bar in 1849, and commenced practice in Indianapolis.

Coburn was a member of theIndiana House of Representatives in 1850. He served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 1859 to 1861, when he resigned to enter theUnion Army following the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War. He becamecolonel of the33rd Indiana Infantry on September 16, 1861.^[3]

He was captured inKentucky and spent time inLibby Prison before being exchanged. Later, Coburn and ColonelBenjamin Harrison fought side by side in several battles while under GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman's command. During that time, Coburn and his troops were the first intoAtlanta and secured the city's surrender. There is a large marker in downtown Atlanta where the city's mayor surrendered the city to Coburn. He was mustered out on September 20, 1864.

On January 13, 1866,PresidentAndrew Johnson nominated Coburn for appointment to the grade ofbrevetbrigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and theUnited States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.^[4]

Coburn and his father were instrumental in saving theIndiana Historical Society and its papers in its early days. Coburn also gave one of the dedication speeches for theIndianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

He promoted the building of theSoldiers' and Sailors' Orphanage inKnightstown, Indiana, and he helped secure the use of land in Indianapolis forGarfield Park. His later years were spent living in theBates-Hendricks House at 1526 S. New Jersey Street in Indianapolis with his wife Caroline (Test) Coburn until his death in 1908.

Coburn was appointed as the first secretary of theTerritory of Montana in March 1865 but resigned at once. He was elected judge of the fifth judicial circuit of Indiana in October 1865 and resigned in July 1866. Later, he was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1875). While in Congress, he served as chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures (41st Congress), and as a member of Committee on Military Affairs (42nd and43rd Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the44th Congress.

After leaving Congress, he was appointed a justice of theSupreme Court of the Territory of Montana on February 19, 1884, and served until December 1885. He returned to Indianapolis, and resumed the practice of law. He died in Indianapolis on January 28, 1908, and was buried inCrown Hill Cemetery (Section 27, Lot 136).

• List of American Civil War brevet generals (Union)
• Atlanta in the American Civil War

• United States Congress."John Coburn (id: C000558)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-02-12
• Coburn, John.An address delivered by General John Coburn, on Memorial Day, May 30, 1905. Indianapolis: Jacobs Stationery and Printing Company, 1905.
• Coburn, John.Life and services of John B. Dillon. Indianapolis: The Bowen-Merrill Co., 1886.
• Eicher, John H., andDavid J. Eicher,Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1
• Welcher, Frank Johnson, and Larry G. Ligget.Coburn’s Brigade: The 85th Indiana, 33rd Indiana, 19th Michigan, and 22nd Wisconsin in the Western Civil War. Carmel, Ind.: Guild Press of Indiana, 1999.

Specific

• Media related toJohn Coburn (politician) at Wikimedia Commons
• John L. Coburn collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library

• 1825 births
• 1908 deaths
• Republican Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives
• Indiana state court judges
• Montana Territory judges
• Politicians from Indianapolis
• People of Indiana in the American Civil War
• Union army generals
• Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery
• Wabash College alumni
• American Civil War prisoners of war
• 19th-century Indiana state court judges
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana
• Justices of the Montana Supreme Court
• 19th-century United States representatives
• 19th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly

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