In a farm field northwest of Kenton, Ohio is a small military cemetery with sixteen tombstones. They mark the final resting place of soldiers stationed at Fort McArthur. Shortly before the start of the War of 1812, American General William Hull needed troops to fight the British in the Detroit area of Michigan. As soldiers marched north, they crossed the Scioto River. To protect the soldiers from the pro-British Native Americans, a fort was constructed by Col. Duncan McArthur. During the war, up to one thousand men were living at the fort.
Not only did they face threats from the British and Native Americans, but also the diseases carried by the mosquitoes in the surrounding swamps. The fort is long gone, but the headstones and cemetery remain. Sadly, the tombstones are marked “unknown” and do not bear the names of the men who gave their lives in support of the newly formed United States of America. A historical marker stands next to the road reminding people of Fort McArthur. A path about one thousand feet long leads to the small military cemetery.
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