Thompson's Station TN013
1863-03-05 to 1863-03-05 · TN · Middle Tennessee Operations [February-April 1863] · frozen result: Confederate · NPS summary (as listed)
In a period of relative inactivity following the Battle of Stones River, a reinforced Union infantry brigade, under Col. John Coburn, left Franklin to reconnoiter south toward Columbia. Four miles from Spring Hill, Coburn attacked with his right wing, a Confederate force composed of two regiments; he was repelled. Then, Maj. Gen. Van Dorn seized the initiative. Brig. Gen. W.H. "Red" Jackson's dismounted 2nd Division made a frontal attack, while Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's division swept around Coburn's left flank, and into his rear. After three attempts, characterized by hard fighting, Jackson carried the Union hilltop position as Forrest captured Coburn's wagon train and blocked the road to Columbia in his rear. Out of ammunition and surrounded, Coburn surrendered. Union influence in Middle Tennessee subsided for a while.
Command responsibility (ledger v2)
US: John Coburn
Grade A under rule 2; echelon brigade. superior_directing
A cited passage states the command. Cist says Gilbert at Franklin ordered the expedition and, when Coburn suggested falling back, ordered him to advance (superior_directing: Gilbert).
Colonelarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle TN013, belligerent US, fullname John Coburn; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…a reinforced Union infantry brigade, under Col. John Coburnarnold-cwsac-battles, battle TN013; column description · snapshot
952b5d08402a…Confederate: Earl Van Dorn
Grade A under rule 2; echelon unknown.
A cited passage states the command.
Major Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle TN013, belligerent Confederate, fullname Earl Van Dorn; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…making a force of 10,000 men under Van Dorn.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1 · snapshot
768a323dd451…Side strength (ledger v3)
US: grade D: no usable figure (modelled in the rating runs)
whole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| us-cist-cap | bound | 3,000 | unknown | upper | one_sided_bound | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
| us-jp-cav | bound | 600 | unknown | lower | partial_scope | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
Confederate: grade B, 10,000 (8,500–11,500)
single_inputwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cs-cist | B | 10,000 | unknown | dossier claim reported-force-scope | ||
| cs-jp-forrest | bound | 2,000 | unknown | lower | partial_scope | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
Dossier claims
Draft dossier, revision middle-tennessee-review-correction-2026-09-25. Claims are extraction records with their quoted passages, not historical adjudication. JSON
information
supportedunresolved Cist says Van Dorn's forward posting was unknown to Gilbert, that Coburn reported a largely superior force and suggested falling back, and that Gilbert ordered him to advance; Jordan and Pryor say Confederate scouts reported the Federal movement the night before.
Retrospective accounts of what each side knew; no inspected message log.
Unknown to Gilbert, Van Dorncist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.141 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…he was confronted by a largely superior force, and sug- gested that he fall back. Gilbert, however, ordered him to advance.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.142 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…scouts returned with information that a heavy body of Federals was in motionjordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.232 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…logistics
supportedunresolved Cist says Coburn moved with a train of one hundred wagons and surrendered with his ammunition exhausted; NPS says Coburn was out of ammunition and surrounded.
Supply statements from an interested history and a summary; no inspected return.
with a wagon-train of one hundred wagonscist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.141 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…finding his ammunition exhausted, surrendered.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.143 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…Out of ammunition and surrounded, Coburn surrendered.nps-tn013-v1, Description · snapshot
86d1b60ca046…objectives
supportedunresolved Cist says Coburn's column went ostensibly foraging but also to reconnoitre toward Columbia; NPS says it left Franklin to reconnoiter south; Jordan and Pryor say Van Dorn decided to meet it at Thompson's Station.
Stated purposes from histories and a summary; no inspected orders.
ostensibly on a foraging expedition, but also to reconnoitre the enemy's front toward Columbia.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.141 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…left Franklin to reconnoiter south toward Columbia.nps-tn013-v1, Description · snapshot
86d1b60ca046…determining to meet the hostile movement some four miles in advance, at Thompson's Sta-jordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.232 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…outcome
supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Confederate victory. Coburn surrendered; Cist says the regiment with the train, the artillery and cavalry got away to Franklin.
Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.
The regiment in charge of the train with the artillery and cavalry now moved off rap- idly on the pike to Franklincist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.143 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 2,206 total (US 1,906; CS 300); the live NPS field reads 1957 total (US 1600; CS 357;). Cist gives Coburn 40 killed, 150 wounded and 2,200 prisoners including the wounded, and the Confederates 35 killed and 140 wounded; Jordan and Pryor give Confederate losses of about thirty killed and 125 wounded.
Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Prisoners dominate the Union figure and are not an opening strength.
2,206 total (US 1,906; CS 300)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle TN013; column casualties_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…His loss was 40 killed, and 150 wounded, and 2,200 prisoners, including his wound- ed.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.143 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…The enemy's loss was 35 killed and 140 wounded.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.143 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…about thirty killed and one hundred and twenty-five wounded.jordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.238 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…responsibility
supportedunresolved NPS says Jackson's division attacked in front while Forrest swept around Coburn's flank; Jordan and Pryor say Forrest demanded Coburn's surrender and presented him to Van Dorn. Gilbert's order to advance came from outside the listed commanders.
Division and army command are distinct; the frozen commanders Van Dorn and Coburn do not receive automatic sole credit.
Jackson's dismounted 2nd Division made a frontal attacknps-tn013-v1, Description · snapshot
86d1b60ca046…Forrest's division swept around Coburn's left flank, and into his rear.nps-tn013-v1, Description · snapshot
86d1b60ca046…whose surrender he demandedjordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.236 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…General Forrest conducted and introduced Colonel Cobum to General Van Domjordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.237 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…strength
unknownunresolved
No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.
disputedunresolved The frozen force field reads Infantry brigade [US]; I Cavalry Corps [CS]; the live field reads zero. Cist gives Coburn nearly three thousand and Van Dorn 10,000; Jordan and Pryor give Forrest some 2,000 and the Federal column five infantry regiments, some 600 cavalry and a battery.
Column and corps figures from interested retrospective histories; no matched opening strength is adopted. Live zeros are not measured absence.
Infantry brigade [US]; I Cavalry Corps [CS]arnold-cwsac-battles, battle TN013; column forces_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…the whole command nearly three thousand strongcist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.141 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…making a force of 10,000 men under Van Dorn.cist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.142 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…some 2000 strongjordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.233 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…with five regiments of infantry, some 600 cavalry, and a field-battery.jordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.234 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…terrain
supportedunresolved Jordan and Pryor place Forrest on an eminence overlooking a valley about half a mile wide; both books describe Union troops making a stand behind a stone fence.
Retrospective position descriptions; no map verification or numerical terrain effect.
deployed in line on an eminence that bordered and overlooked a narrow valleyjordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.233 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…dismounted behind a stone fencecist-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.142 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
768a323dd451…took shelter behind a strong stone fence.jordan-middle-tennessee-selections-v1, p.235 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
60d2ae8d10c5…Open questions
- Coburn's, Van Dorn's and Forrest's reports, returns and the escaped column's size remain deferred.
- NPS/CWSAC is one family. Cist is an interested retrospective Union staff history; Jordan and Pryor is a retrospective Confederate history for most of whose statements Forrest's prefatory note accepts responsibility, and is not independent of Forrest. Where both are used they are separate families. Reports and newspapers cited inside either book are not additional families.
- No automatic commander attribution, causal campaign score, morale/readiness number or battle/campaign double counting.