Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/310

 COBB

COBURN

of Georgia, 1849-57, resigning the office to resume the practice of his profession. He was a member of the state secession convention of 1860. In 1861 he was elected a representative from Georgia in the first Confederate congress and was chairman of the committee on naval affairs. In August,

1861, he entered the Confederate army as colonel ; "was promoted brigadier-general in November,

1862, and led the famous Cobb's Georgia legion at Ihe battle of Fredericksburg, Va., where he was Jkilled. He was a trustee of the University of Georgia, 1858-62, and founded the Lucy Cobb in- stitute, Athens, Ga., nanied for his daughter. He was married to Marion McHenry, daughter of Chief -Justice Lumpkin of Lexington, Ga. He published Digest of the Laics of Georgia (1851) ; In- quiry Into the Lair ofXegro Slavery in the United States (1858) ; and Historical Sketch of Slavery (1859). He <iied at Fredericksbui'g, Va., Dec. 13, 1862.

COBB, Thomas W., senator, was born in •Columbia county, Ga., in 178-4; son of John Cobb, and grandson of Thoinas Cobb, a Vir- ginian, who removed to Georgia about 1760, settled in the wilderness Avhich became Columbia county, and lived to be one hundred and fifteen years old. Young Thomas studied law under William H. Crawford and jaractised his profes- sion at Lexington, Ga. He was a representative in the 15th and 16th congresses, 1817-21, and was returned to the IStli congress, but resigned his seat in the house in 1B24 to take his place in the U.S. senate as succe.ssor to Senator Nicholas Ware, deceased. He resigned from the senate in 1828 to accept the position of judge of the superior court of Georgia, then the highest judicial tribunal of the state. In congress he opposed General Jackson's policy in the conduct of the Florida war, and proposed a vote of cen- sure against that officer. He was a trustee of the University of Georgia, 1816-30. He died at Greensborough, Ga., Feb. 1, 1830.

COBB, Williamson R. W., representative, wa,s born in Ray county, Tenn., June 8, 1807. His father removed in 1809 to Bellefonte, Madison ■count}', Ala., where he was a planter. The son was liberally educated and in 1845 was elected to the state legislature and re-elected in 1846. He was a representative from Alabama in the SOth, 31st, 32d, 33d, 34th, 35th and 36th con- gresses, when the secession of Alabama carried him out of the Union. He was an unsuccessful <!andidate for representative in the 1st Confed- erate congress and was elected to the 2d, but did not take his seat. In the U.S. congress he was chairman of the committee on public lands and carried through congress the bounty land bill of 1850 and the graduation bill of 1854. He was killed bj^ the accidental discharge of his pistol at Bellefonte, Ala., Nov. 1, 1864.

COBBS, Nicholas Hamner, first P.E. bishop of Alabama and 48d in succession in the Ameri- can episcopate, was born in Bedford county, Va., Feb. 5, 1796; son of John Lewis and Susan (Ham- ner) Cobbs. He was ordained to the diaconate of the Protestant Ei^iscopal church in 1824 and to the priesthood in 1825. He officiated for fifteen years in Bedford county, also serving as chaplain of the University of Virginia. In 1839 he became rector of St. Paul's church, Peters- burg, Va., and in 1843 accepted the charge of St. Paul's church, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was elected the first bishop of Alabama and was con- secrated at Philadelphia, Oct. 20, 1844. He attended the General convention as deputy from Virginia, from 1828 to 1841. He received the degree of D.D. from Geneva college in 1842. His sermon on " The Doubting Christian Encour- aged " was several times reprinted. He died at Montgomery, Ala., Jan. 11, 1861.

COBLEIQH, Nelson Ebenezer, educator, was born m Littleton, N.H., Nov. 24, 1814. He was graduated at Wesleyan university in 1843, taught in the Middletown high school in 1843, and the next year joined the New England conference. Pie served various churches until 1853, when he was made professor of ancient languages in McKendree college and transferred to the south- ern Illinois conference. The next year he became professor of ancient languages in Lawrence university and a member of the Wisconsin con- ference. In 1858 he was elected president of McKendree college and professor of moral and intellectual science, and was re-transferred to the southern Illinois conference. He left Illinois in 1863 to accept the editorship of Zion's Herald, Boston, Mass., remaining at that jjost until 1867 when he was chosen president of the East Ten- nessee Wesleyan univei'sity, Athens, Tenn. In 1872 he became editor of the Methodist Advocate, Atlanta, Ga. He was a delegate to the general conferences of 1864 and 1872. Lawrence uni- versity conferred upon him the degree of D.D. in 1859 and the East Tennessee Weslej'an university gave liim that of LL.D. in 1872. He was mar- ried Aug. 1, 1844, to Charlotte M. Simmons, of Springfield, Mass., and of their children Nelson Simmons became a clergyman and Edward Augustus, a phj'sician. He contributed to the Methodist Quarterly lieview and the Ladies' Heposi- tory in addition to his regular editorial work. He died in Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 1, 1874.

COBURN, Abner, governor of Maine, was born in Skowhegan, Maine, March 22,1803; son of Eleazer and Mary (Weston) Coburn. His father was a representative in the legislatures of Massa- chusetts and Maine ; and his maternal grand- father, Joseph Weston, went to Somerset county, Mass. (afterward Maine), from Lancaster, Mass.,