Confederate forces fought repeatedly at this place during the Civil War. On July 17, 1862, CSA Gen. John H. Morgan's cavalry, on its first Kentucky raid, defeated USA forces here and burned the railroad depot and Union stores. On June 11, 1864, Morgan again took the area, but the next day reinforced USA forces defeated the CSA and drove them into retreat to Virginia. Gen. Henry Heth's forces also held Cynthiana from Sept. 6-17, 1862, as part of a Confederate threat to Covington.