Nathan Yarborough was born in Duplin County, North Carolina on April 14, 1750. A resident of Chatham County, North Carolina, he was drafted into the North Carolina Militia as a private and served two terms beginning in December 1779 and ending in June 1781. In 1790 he married Mary Menter. He successfully applied for a veteran's pension for his wartime service in 1833 and died in Chatham County on January 4, 1834.