Nathan Smith was born in Rock Springs, Georgia. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 27.
The Chattanooga Daily Times, 4 May 1918:
Full military honors will be accorded Nathan Smith, first colored selectman in Hamilton county to lose his life while in military service. The funeral will be held today at the Methodist church at Shepherd and a band and military escort from Camp Forrest will accompany the body from the church to the little cemetery. Smith, who died Monday of pneumonia at Camp Meade, had lived all his life at Altamede farm, the Shepherd country place east of Missionary ridge. His mother and father were former slaves of Judge Shepherd, so when Nathan answered the call of war last September his departure was an auspicious occasion for the colored folks of that community. Yesterday his body arrived from the Maryland camp, escorted by six comrades. The flag draped box that held the casket was taken to the little cabin on the farm where Nathan had lived as a boy. The entire colored population of the countryside met the train that brought the body and walked in solemn procession behind the hearse with its military escort. Nathan, like his forbears, was a faithful employe of the Shepherd family. He was honest and industrious and one of the most efficient farm hands on the place. His vacancy has never been successfully filled, owing to the shortage of farm labor. Apparently he gave the same untiring devotion to his duty as a soldier that he did to his work in the field, for reports from the camp indicate that he made a model enlisted man.
He married Lena Hughes in 1916. She was with him during his sickness and death and accompanied his body back home. They both worked on the same fields.
- Rank: Private
- Date of birth: 30 May 1890
- Date of death: 29 April 1918
- County: Hamilton
- Hometown: Shepherd
- Service Branch: Army
- Division/Assignment: Company M, 368th Infantry
- Conflict: World War I
- Burial/Memorial Location: Shepherd Community Cemetery, Shepherd, Hamilton County, Tennessee
- Location In Memorial: Pillar III, Middle Panel
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