James Ruddell was born August 20, 1758. He died in Boone, Kentucky around 1840, when he was 81 years old.

In the book John Ruddell of Shenandoah by Harold Smutz, James Ruddell is reffered to as "one of the garrison at Ruddell's Station when it was captured in 1780, (during the American Revolution.) He stated in his application that in 1777 he served six months in the Shenandoah militia under Col. Abraham Byrd: 1779-80 he served in the KY Co., VA militia under Capt. Isaac Ruddell, was captured 24, June 1780 and remained a prisoner of war until the fall of 1783, and later that fall returned to KY and became a resident of Fayette County. Children were listed in the Haynes Family Bible."

James married Jane MULHERIN, daughter of Charles MULHERIN Jr. (1730-1789.) Jane was born January 25, 1761 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Jane died in Boone County, Kentucky in 1833, she was 71. She died during a Cholera epidemic.

Jane married Cornelius Ruddell, son of Captain Isaac Ruddell. Cornelius was killed by Natives, the widow Jane Mulherin Ruddell subsequently married Cornelius' first cousin, James Ruddell, son of Archibald and Elizabeth (Beggs) Ruddell.

Cornelius b. 7/4/1804

On this eighth day of May in the year 1833 personally appeared in open
court before the Honorable Henry Brown _____ Judge of the Boone Circuit
Court, now sitting, being a court of record, James Ruddell, a resident
of Boone County and State of Kentucky aged seventy-five years (next
August) who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath
make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act
of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the
following named officers and served as herein stated.
That he volunteered in Shenandoah County, State of Virginia, in a
company of riflemen under Captain Rader sometime in the year 1777, the
month and day of the month not recollected, for six months marched from
Shenandoah County to Pittsburgh, from thence to Wheeling, Colonel Bird
had command of the Regiment, his General's name was Hand?, the served
the whole six months out and was discharged at Wheeling, but owing to
the length of time and subsequent misfortunes during the Revolution he
has long since lost the paper containing it.
In the year 1779 he was again called on as one of the volunteers
detailed to come to what is now Kentucky to defend the ______ from the
merciless invasions of the British and their Indian allies; he served
under the immediate command of Captain Isaac Ruddell, John Bowman was the
Colonel who commanded. He served in Captain Ruddell's Company in Kentucky
until about the 24th day of June 1780, at which time the British and
Indians made an attack on Ruddell's Station, where the troops then were.
The Station was taken by the British and Indians, and he became a
prisoner of war - he was taken by the Indians to Detroit and there given
up to the British, and was through Canada, was a prisoner to them more
than two years and six months. At the conclusion of the war and when
peace was restored, he was returned to his fellow citizens of Virginia.
He afterward moved to Kentucky in the fall of 1783 and settled in the
then County of Fayette; in the year 1814 he moved to Boone County where
he has resided ever since.
After coming to Kentucky and in the years of 1793 or 1794 he
served a tour in what is generally called Scott's Campaign. While in
Pittsburgh, he knew a Regular Officer named Gipson who was the Colonel
and had command of that place.
He further states he has no documentary evidence of his service,
neither is he known to any one who has a personal knowledge of his
service whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.
He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension or
annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on
the pension roll of any agency in any state. Sworn to and subscribed the
day and year aforesaid.
James Ruddell

Mr. Churchill Gaines a resident in the County of Boone and Wm. K. Wall
residing in the _______ County hereby certify that we are well
acquainted with James Ruddell, who has sworn to and subscribed the above
declaration that we believe him to be seventy-five years of age (next
August), that is is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he
resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in
that opinion. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

W. K. Wall
Churchhill Gaines