Historical Marker

Civil War Skirmish/ Future President

Historical marker location:

Russellville, Kentucky

( 225 Armory Dr., Russellville)

On September 30, 1862, 600 Union troops led by Colonel Benjamin Harrison came here and surprised an element of Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry, led by Captain John Baker Dortch. After a sharp skirmish, in which thirty-five Confederates were reportedly killed and wounded, Morgan’s troops retreated.

<h5>Reverse</h5>A Future President- Harrison, whose troops were victorious in the skirmish here, was a twenty-nine-year-old Indiana attorney. The Russellville fight was his first engagement; his military career continued throughout the Civil War, including service under Gen. W. T. Sherman in the Atlanta Campaign. In 1889, he became the 23rd president of the United States.