Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/712

COBOS, Marcelino, Mexican bandit, b. in Manresa, Spain, about 1825; d. in December, ISfiO. He emigrated to Mexico about 1845, and enrolled himself in the famous guerillas commanded by Father Javanta, with whom he served during the whole campaign against the Americans (1847-'8). A few years afterward he served in the reactionary bands during the civil war, and was noted for his extreme boldness and terrible cruelties. At the head of his 300 guerillas, all well equipped and mounted, he became the terror of the farmers and inhabitants of small towns. His lieutenants were then Gonzalez (afterward made a general and pi'esident of Mexico) and Buitron, who was shot by the I'epublicans upon the downfall of Maximil- ian's empire. It is said that Cobos ordered the as- sassination of the Mexican general Santos Degol- lado, and many other monstrous crimes. The bat- tle of Calpulalpan, fought between the troops of the conservative and liberal parties (21 to 24 Dec, 1860), decided the contest in favor of the latter, and the victors ruled the country until the French army invaded Mexico in 1863. Cobos, who had taken part in this battle, fled to the mountains with a few of his men, but some rancheros fol- lowed, captured and. beheaded him, taking his head in triumph to the city of Mexico.

COBURN, Abner, merchant, b. in Skowhegan, Me., 22 March, 1803; d. there, 4 Jan., 1885. His father, Eleazar, a land-surveyor, several times rep- resented the town of Canaan (now embraced in Skowhegan) in the legislatures of Massachusetts and Maine. Though employed in early life on his father's farm, Abner spent several terms at Bloom- field academy, and in 1825 became a surveyor. The knowledge obtained in this profession led him into the lumber business, which he prosecuted for more than half a century with ability and success. He began to take an interest in railway enterprises in 1854, and became director or president of several important lines. In 1838 he was elected as a whig to the Maine legislature, and again in 1840. In 1852, when Gen. Scott was the whig candidate for president, he was on the electoral ticket. In 1855 he was a member of Gov. Morrill's council, and in 1857 held the same office under Govs. Hamlin and Williams. In 1860 he was an elector on the Lincoln ticket and chosen governor of Maine in 1862, fill- ing the office during most of the year 1863 and supporting the national government with devotion and fidelity. His last public service was rendered in 1884, when he was one of the Republican electors and was made their chairman. Gov. Coburn was active in philanthropic movements, and evinced a practical interest in higher education. He was president of the managers of the College of agri- culture and mechanic-arts, and vice-president of the board of trustees of Colby university. He gave largely in his lifetime to aid schools and colleges and the building of churches, especially in connec- tion with the Baptist denomination, to which he was warmly attached. He bequeathed to various educational, religious, and charitable institutions over $800,000, including $200,000 to Colby uni- versity, $100,000 to the Maine state college of agri- culture, $200,000 to the American Baptist home missionary society, and $100,000 to the American Baptist missionary union.

COBURN, Charles Rittenhouse, educator, b. in Bradford county. Pa., 5 June, 1809; d. in Har- risburg, Pa., 9 March, 1869. He was almost wholly self-taught, and, having acquired sufficient knowl- edge to instruct,.he was engaged in 1827, at a salary of eight dollars a month, to take charge of a small school in Uwego, N. Y. In 1837 he became assist- ant in the Owego academy, and remained there for ten years, with occasional interruptions from ill health and a brief attendance at the State normal school. In 1848-'50 he was president of the New York teachers' association, and in 1852-'3 one of the editors of the " New York Teacher." He has lectured frequently on educational topics. In 1853 he received the honorary degree of A. M. from Madison university. In 1854 he took charge of the normal and mathematical department of Susquehanna collegiate institute, Bradford county. Pa., and from 1857 till 1863 superintendent of schools for the same county. He was state super- intendent of schools for Pennsylvania from 1863 till 1866, and previously was president of the State teachers' association for one year. In 1866 he was elected superintendent of schools at Harrisburg, an office whicth he held at the time of his death.

COCHRAN, David Henry, educator, b. in Springville, N. Y., 5 July, 1828. He was graduated at Hamilton in 1850, and received from it the degree of LL. D. in 1869. He was professor of natural sciences at the Clinton liberal institute in 1850-1, principal of Fredonia academy from 1852 till 1854, professor of natural sciences in the State normal school at Albany, N. Y., in 1854-'5, and its presi- dent from 1855 till 1864. In the last-named year he became president of the Broolvlyn polytechnic institute, where he entirely reorganized the courses of study. In 1862 Prof. Cochran visited the prin- cipal educational institutions of Europe, under the direction of the executive committee of the normal school, and he has travelled widely through the mining districts of the United States and British America. He is a trustee of Hamilton college, has lectured much in New York state, and published educatioTial and scientific reports.

COCHRAN, James, inventor, b. in Batavia, N. Y., in 1763; d. 31 Dec, 1846. He was a brass- founder in Philadelphia, and Franklin frequently visited his shop. He invented the art of making cut nails, and also claimed to have made the first copper cents in this country.

COCHRAN, John, surgeon, b. in Sudsbury, Chester co., Pa., 1 Sept., 1730; d. in Palatine, Montgomery co., N. Y., 6 April, 1807. He was the son of James, an emigrant to Chester county, Pa., in the early part of the 18th century. He was instructed at the grammar -scliool of Dr. Francis Alli- son, and acquired a knowledge of surgery and medicine from his preceptor, Dr. Thompson, at Lan- caster. Pa. At the beginning of the French and Indian war in 1755 he en- tered the British ser- vice as a surgeon's mate in the hospital department. When Gen. Bradstreet marched against Fort Frontenac in the summer of 1758, he joined him, together

with Maj. (afterward Gen.) Philip Schuyler. At the close of the war his reputation as a surgeon was fully established. He first settled in Albany, and married Gertrude, a sister of Gen. Schuyler, but soon afterward he removed to New Bruns-