Brevet Major Nathaniel George Clement was a White Officer for Black Troops during the Civil War. He was a Sergeant in the 13th US infantry, promoted for gallantry at Vicksburg to Captain of the newly formed 52nd US Colored Infantry, and was breveted (temporary) Major in 1864
-------------------------------------------
The Sabbath Recorder", Vol 94, No 16, p 511, Apr. 16, 1923.
Nathaniel George Clement was born December 26, 1839, at Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, and died at his home in Mira Valley, Valley County, Neb., February 21, 1923, on the place where he exercised his soldier filing right and later homesteaded.

Mr. Clement served with the Union army from August, 1861, to May, 1866. He enlisted with Company A, Third Battalion of the Thirteenth U. S. Infantry. On May 9, 1863, he was made a captain of the U. S. colored infantry and was mustered out May 6, 1866, at Vicksburg, Miss. He was a carpenter by trade and since coming to Valley County has been the employ of the government in the construction of forts and other government buildings. He helped build Fort Hartsuff, was employed at Fort Robinson and had direct supervision of the building of Fort Niobrara in Nebraska, and Fort Douglas in Utah. He came to be known as "the Government Man."

As a lad he was baptized into the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Clement was married to Sarah E. Platts, of Milton, Wis., in May, 1865, and she resided with her husband five or six months prior to his discharge from the army, after which discharge they moved to Clinton County, Iowa, where Mrs. Clement died in October, 1871. Two children., Carl C. and Paul P., were born to this union. In September, 1873, he married Mary E. Hurley, a native of Shelby County, Ohio, and a sister of Eld. J. H. Hurley, a former pastor of the North Loup Seventh Day Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Clement moved to Valley County in 1874, and to them were born four children, Guy, Clara, Ava and Hugh.

The type of man that he was, is shown in that as an early day commissioner he resigned when the other two members of the board decided to lower the license fee for the selling of whiskey in the county. He shared in the hardships of pioneer life, lived in a dugout, and moved from Grand Island on wagon the first frame dwelling in Mira Valley. This little building is still standing.

He is survived by his companion, five of his children, Carl C., Paul P., Mrs. Clara Clement Holmes, Mrs. Ava Johnson and Hugh, Guy having died seven years ago the fourth of next June. He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Jane Davis, of Riverside, Cal., five half brothers and five half sisters, twenty-two grandchildren, four great grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

Funeral services were conducted at the home by Pastor H. L. Polan on the afternoon of February 23 and burial was made in the North Loup cemetery. Six young men of the World War in uniform acted as pall bearers and one sounded taps at the grave.
H. L. P.
transcribed by Jon Saunders, contributor 47674050