Bland Ballard

Portrait of Bland Ballard

Bland Ballard (October 16, 1761 – September 5, 1853) was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky.

Biography

Ballard was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1779, at age 18, he moved to Kentucky, which was the western frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a scout in George Rogers Clark's 1780 expedition into the Ohio country. During the Northwest Indian War, he again served as a scout in Clark's 1786 Wabash campaign. Ballard participated in the battles of Fallen Timbers, 1794, Tippecanoe, 1811, and the River Raisin, 1813. As a major of Kentucky volunteers, he played a leading role in the expedition against the British and American Indians who had invaded southeastern Michigan. He was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Frenchtown, but was one of the few who escaped the River Raisin Massacre. Following the war, Ballard served in the Kentucky General Assembly.

Both Ballard County, Kentucky, and Blandville, Kentucky are named in his honor.

One of his grandchildren, also named Bland Ballard, became a judge for the United States District Court for the District of Kentucky.