Nathan Kimball (November 22, 1822 – January 21, 1898) was a physician, politician, postmaster, and military officer, serving as a general in the
Union army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. He was the first statewide commander of the
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...
veterans organization in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
Early life and career
Kimball was born in
Fredericksburg, Indiana
Fredericksburg is an unincorporated community in Posey Township, Washington County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 85 at the 2010 census, at which time it was a town.
History
Fredericksburg was laid out in 1815. It was named fo ...
, a small rural hamlet where he attended the local school. He attended the Washington County Seminary and then Indiana Asbury College (what is now
DePauw University
DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the G ...
) from 1839 until 1841 before leaving to teach school and farm in
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fifth-largest city in Missouri and the county seat of Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson County. Independence is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro ...
. He studied medicine under his brother-in-law at the
University of Louisville Medical School in 1844 and established a private practice in
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
and
Livonia. He married Martha A. McPheeters in
Washington County, Indiana, on September 22, 1845. The couple had one child, a son named James.
When the
Mexican–American War erupted, Dr. Kimball volunteered his services to state, raising a company from Livonia in the 2nd Indiana Infantry and being elected as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. Kimball was distinguished at the
Battle of Buena Vista, where he rallied his company and held them fast even as the rest of the regiment crumbled and fled in disorder. He mustered out in June 1847 and returned to Indiana, where he resumed his medical practice, expanding it to
Loogootee. He was defeated for election as a
Whig to the Indiana State Senate in 1847. His wife died in early 1850, and he married Emily McPheeters in August. In 1852, he again lost an election, this time for Presidential Elector. Kimball joined the newly formed
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
in 1854. His medical practice flourished, and he became well known in the region.
Civil War
With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Kimball again volunteered his services to Indiana and raised a company of infantry. Governor
Oliver Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877), commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th governor (the first native-born) of Indiana during the Amer ...
named him the
colonel of the 1,143-man
14th Indiana Infantry on June 7, 1861.
[Baxter, page 185.] He led his
regiment in the campaigns in
western Virginia
Western Virginia is a geographic region in Virginia comprising the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia. Generally, areas in Virginia located west of, or (in many cases) within, the piedmont region are considered part of western Virginia.
T ...
, seeing his first combat at the
Battle of Cheat Mountain in the autumn.
In March 1862, he fought in the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
, commanding a brigade at the
Battle of Kernstown. On the second day of the fighting at Kernstown, he temporarily assumed command of the
division of wounded
Brigadier General James Shields, and then pushed back
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
in a successful
counterattack. It was one of the first repulses that Jackson had suffered. In recognition of Kimball's performance, he was promoted to
brigadier general on April 16, 1862. With the victory at Kernstown, Kimball had now participated in early Civil War defeats of both Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson.
In July 1862, Kimball led his regiment, the
8th Ohio Infantry, and the 7th West Virginia Infantry to join the
Army of the Potomac.
After adding the
4th Ohio Infantry
The 4th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater in a number of campaigns and battles, but perhaps is most noted for its actions in helping secure Cemetery H ...
to his
brigade, Kimball was briefly stationed in
Fort Monroe before covering
John Pope's retreat from the
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
on September 1. During the subsequent
Maryland Campaign, Kimball commanded the First Brigade of
William H. French
William Henry French (January 13, 1815 – May 20, 1881) was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer, General in the American Civil War. He rose to temporarily command a corps within the Army of the Potomac, but was re ...
's third division in the
II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to:
France
* 2nd Army Corps (France)
* II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...
. His men formed the right of the division during its series of assaults on the Sunken Road at the
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
, losing over 600 men killed or wounded. Despite the severe losses, the men held their ground and eventually pushed aside the
Confederates in their front, capturing 300 men and several colors. Kimball's brigade became known as the "
Gibraltar Brigade" for their steadfast ability to withstand enemy fire.
In December, his men were part of the desperate assaults ordered by
Ambrose Burnside against Marye's Heights during the
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...
. There, Kimball suffered a painful thigh wound that put him out of action for the winter and spring of 1863. The Gibraltar Brigade was subsequently turned over to Col.
Samuel S. Carroll
Samuel Sprigg "Red" Carroll (September 21, 1832 – January 28, 1893) was a career officer in the United States Army who rose to the rank of brigadier general of the Union during the American Civil War. The Maryland native was most known for h ...
. In early 1863, Kimball was nominated to run for the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana, but he declined the nomination to remain in the army.
After finally recovering enough for field command, Kimball was assigned to duty in the
Western Theater, reporting in June 1863 to
Corinth, Mississippi, where he assumed command of a division in the
XVI Corps. His was one of three divisions in that corps that were ordered to
Mississippi in to join the
Siege of Vicksburg, although they arrived too late to participate in much of the actual fighting. In September, the greater part of Kimball's division was ordered to
Arkansas, where it became incorporated in the
VII Corps. He commanded the rear echelon in the
Camden Expedition.
In April 1864, Kimball was relieved of duty in the
Department of Arkansas and ordered to report to
William T. Sherman, who became a close personal friend. Kimball was on detached duty under Sherman until May 1864, when he was given command of a brigade in the
IV Corps at the beginning of the
Atlanta Campaign. Following the
Battle of Peachtree Creek in July, Kimball assumed command of a division in the same corps.
He returned to Indiana at Governor Morton's request to help subdue the
Knights of the Golden Circle in that state, then returned to active field duty in the late fall, serving as a division commander in the battles of
Franklin and
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
. He received a
brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
as a
major general February 1, 1865, and mustered out of the army on August 24, 1865, following the close of the war.
Postbellum activities
Kimball returned to Indiana, where he became associated with the newly organized
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...
, serving as its first state commander. Reentering politics, he was elected in 1867 as the State Treasurer, where he focused on banking reform and was re-elected to a second term. In 1869, he joined the
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
lodge in Mount Pleasant, Indiana.
[Denslow, page 22.] Kimball won election to the
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...
in 1873 from
Marion County. His former commander in the
Vicksburg Campaign,
Ulysses S. Grant, appointed Kimball in 1873 as Surveyor General for the
Utah Territory, a post that he held until 1878. The following year, President
Rutherford B. Hayes appointed him as the Postmaster of
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...
, Kimball's adopted home. He served in this role until his death in 1898. Kimball was buried in Ogden, Utah.
Honors
A bronze bust of Kimball was erected in the
Vicksburg National Military Park in 1915.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Union)
Union generals
__NOTOC__
The following lists show the names, substantive ranks, and brevet ranks (if applicable) of all general officers who served in the United States Army during the Civil War, in addition to a small selection of lower-ranke ...
Notes
References
* Baxter, Nancy Niblack, ''Gallant Fourteenth: The Story of an Indiana Civil War Regiment''. Carmel, Indiana: Guild Press, 1980. .
* Denslow, William R., ''10,000 Famous Freemasons from K to Z''. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. .
* Heitman, Francis, ''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903''. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903.
* Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964, .
* U.S. War Department
''The War of the Rebellion'' ''a Compilation of the
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War webpage for Kimball
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimball, Nathan
1822 births
1898 deaths
DePauw University alumni
Politicians from Ogden, Utah
American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
Union Army generals
Gibraltar Brigade
People of Indiana in the American Civil War
People from Indiana in the Mexican–American War
State treasurers of Indiana
Republican Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives
People from Washington County, Indiana
University of Louisville School of Medicine alumni
People from Loogootee, Indiana
19th-century American politicians
Grand Army of the Republic officials