The National tribune., 1904-08-25
COBURN'S BRIGADE.
Its Capture After Fighting Superior Numbers
at Thompson's Station.

EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: l am
greatly interested in the letters of j. c.
Whitaker. of Pawnee, Neb., and w. II.
Conner, of Liberty, Ind. in The National
Tribune of June 2. was in the 22d Wis.
and was captured with the brigade at
Thompson Station, in February, 1868
These letters are the only ones l have ever
seen in regard to that unfortunate affair.
| wish to go back little in the history of
the brigade. The 22d Wis. came out in
the call for 100000 more" We were
rushed to Cincinnati when the city was
threatened by the rebels, and were crossed
to Covlngton. and put to work digging
trenches and drilling. Soon after this our
brigade was formed. and we all looked
upon the :}.'d Ind. as veterans, which they
were, as they had just gotten back from
that masterfnl retreat from Cumberland
Gap. / heard one of Gen. Baird's Aids
say that the success of chat long retreat
was due to Col. COburn and the 33d Ind
more than to anything else
Our brigade was formed about the last
of September, '62-3:3d Ind, S5th Ind,
18th Mich. and the 22d Wis. Col. Coburn
commanded it most of the time till he
went home, because his time was out. just
before the fall of Atlanta. The brigade
was put into Gen. Baird's Division Of the
tucky part Of the Winter, going TO Nash
vile by fleet, as explained by Comrade
Whitaker. From Nashville we were sent
to Franklin. stopping while a Brent
wood. a station halfway from Nashville
At Franklin we were camped around Fort
Granger Gen. Gilbert was in command
of the post.
of artillery, two companies of Michigan
cavalry. together with 100 empty wagons,
was ordered to Duck River bottoms to
gather a lot of corn. 1t was known that
there was q brigade of rebel cavalry on
our side Of the river. and more on the
other side: but the bridge at Columbia be-
ing gone. and the water very high, there
was not much fear of our meeting any
force from the other side. We had not
gone 10 miles when we encountered the
rebel cavalry at a farmhouse on the pike
Our cavalry drove in their advance, and a
skrmisli line advanced on both sides Of the
road. while one gun of our artillery opened
on them. They got out in hurry leavn.
one dead comrade. whom we buried, and
we occupied their deserted camp.
Word was brought by scouts that night
river, had crossed. making four brigades
in our front. Col. COburn sent a dispatch
10 Gen. Gilbert to that effect; but report
says that he did not believe it, saying that
he knew better than we, and for us to go
ahead as ordered. We did go ahead, and
we Bad not gone TWO miles when, coming
out of the hills, we could see through the
open fields the rebels, some dismounted in
our immediate front. with. the cavalry
stretching away on each flank.
The 22d was on the left of the railroad:
the 18th along it, while the 33d and S5th
were on the right. In our front was an
open field with n stone fence at the top.
We were ordered to go to that fence and
hold it. We got there little in advance
nf ha rnh md 1n hra,
work. From where we were we had q
good view Of the field. The rebels had the
depot, and the 33d and S:jth made several
charges to secure it. But we, behind the
stone fence. had busy time keeping the
. rebels from driving us away, and after a