Ruddell’s Station

In late June of 1780, British Captain Alexander McKee surrounded Ruddell’s Fort in Harrison County, Kentucky, and demanded a surrender. With the British six and three-pound cannons firing on the walls, Captain Ruddell quickly capitulated the fort. A few days later, the nearby fort at Martin’s Station also conceded to the British, producing widespread panic throughout the frontier.

Originally built to defend the frontier in 1775, the fort was abandoned just one year later. In 1779, Isaac Ruddle rebuilt the fort, but it was destroyed in 1780 following the British assault. A historical plaque marking the location of the fort once stood at the intersection of US Hwy 27 and New Lair Road in Cynthiana, Kentucky, but has since been removed.