Born in Ohio on 8 October 1832, son of Francis Noble Colburn (born, New York) and wife, the former Caroline Bloss (born, Vermont), Richard Colburn enlisted in the 12th Infantry of the United States Regular Army on 18 December 1861. His home at the time of his enlistment, as indicated in the diary, was Ellington, Iowa, in Hancock County. Colburn served as a cook with Company B of the 12th Infantry of the United States Regular Army, which was attached for much of the American Civil War to the Army of the Potomac. He was wounded--shot through the calf--and captured at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill on 27 June 1862. After recuperating for about a month in Confederate hospitals, he was transferred to Union custody and eventually was taken to Philadelphia to continue his convalescence. He was released from the hospital on 15 January 1863 and returned home.

His diary mentions several relatives as either recipients or writers of letters. Among them are his wife, Elmira, to whom he was married on 7 May 1861; brothers, Oliver, Parley, Francis, and Lewis; sisters Maryetta and Rhoda; and brother-in-law J.C.[?] Heckart. Other siblings included Paul, Lorenzo, and Harvey. (History of Kossuth, Hancock, and Winnebago Counties, Iowa reports that Paul, a member of an Illinois regiment, was killed near Richmond and Lorenzo died in hospital, a member of the Wisconsin 12th. A Paul Colburn of the Illinois 93rd was killed at Champion Hills, MS in May 1863. A Lorenzo Colburn of the Iowa 23rd died of disease in June 1863 at Young’s Point, LA. A Harvey Colburn, also of the Illinois 93rd was discharged in January 1863. A Lewis Colburn of Hancock Co. Iowa and a member of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry, died of disease in June 1865 in Eastport, MS.) Colburn’s first wife, Diana (Diena) died in Ellington in April 1858, shortly after the death of their infant daughter, Calista.

According to the 1870 census, Richard and Elmira lived in Ellington, Iowa with sons Amos, Francis, John, and daughter Caroline. Also in Ellington in 1870 are his parents, F.N. Colburn and wife Caroline, along with his brother Parley and his family. The 1880 census shows Richard Colburn in Ellington with wife Anna (his second wife Elmira died in 1872), age 26, from Holland, with sons Francis and John, young daughter Diena, and two nieces and nephews, both from Holland. Later census records show Anna’s place of birth to be Denmark. Richard Colburn died on 2 December 1907 in Kingman, Arizona.

During the American Civil War, the Army of the Potomac was organized at Fort Hamilton, New York under the direction of President Lincoln on May 4, 1861, and confirmed by Act of Congress on July 29, 1861. The Army of the Potomac fought in several battles including: Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. During the term of service, the regiment lost 126 soldiers by death from wounds and 193 men by death from diseases.

External sources and additional resources:

"Union Regular Army: 12th Regiment, US Infantry (Regular Army) ", National Park Service's Civil War database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UUR0012RI, accessed April 21, 2023.

"Army of the Potomac", Appomattox Court House, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/apco/army-of-the-potomac.htm, accessed April 21, 2023.

History of Kossuth, Hancock, and Winnebago Counties, Iowa; together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Springfield, IL: Union Publishing Co., 1884. Call number F627.K6 H58.