Nathan Kimball, 1822-1898, was an Indiana physician and a Major General in the American Civil War. He was born on November 22, 1822 in Fredericksburg, Posey Township, Washington County, Indiana. He matriculated in 1839 at Asbury College but did not graduate. In 1841 after leaving college he taught school in Independence, Missouri, for a time and tried farming before undertaking the study of medicine in 1843. In May, 1846 he raised in his native town a company known as the Posey Guards, for service in the Mexican War, which became Company G of the 2nd Regiment of Indiana volunteers, of which Kimball was commissioned captain. This company served in the battle of Buena Vista.

In 1847 Kimball was mustered out of the service at New Orleans and returned to Indiana. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was practicing medicine at Loogootee, Martin County, Indiana. Immediately upon the receipt of the news of the fall of Fort Sumter he recruited a company of volunteers in Martin County, which was assigned as part of the 14th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, of which Kimball was commissioned colonel on May 22, 1861. Kimball served throughout the war rising to the rank of Brevet Major General. He saw service in the Shenandoah Valley, in the Army of the Potomac, in the Vicksburg campaign, in Arkansas, and in the Army of the Cumberland. In Arkansas in 1864 after the capture of Little Rock he was placed in charge of the registering of loyal citizens preparatory to the reorganization of the Arkansas state government.

Following his discharge on August 24, 1865 Kimball returned to Indiana in which state he helped to organize the Grand Army of the Republic and became its state commander. He was elected Indiana state treasurer in 1866 and 1868 and a member of the state legislature in 1872. On Dec. 27, 1873 Kimball was appointed surveyor general of Utah by General Grant. He lived in Utah for the remainder of his life, holding an appointment as postmaster of Ogden City from 1879 until his death on January 21, 1898.