From Tarrt:

 

We append the following, as the recollections of the

venerable Patsey Ralston, (nee Neely), widow of Andrew

D. Ralston, who now at the advanced age of ninety-two

years, resides in Fort Branch. In regard to the early

events she seems to possess a memory unimpaired. She

is the fifth of a family of nine children born to Joseph

and Martha Neely. Her parents came to this county in

March, 1805. They made a short stop with John Latham's

father, who was then living where Princeton now

stands. Subsequently, they moved to a farm about

three miles from where David Robb and family were

then living, south of White River. Joseph Neely and

wife were natives of Pennsylvania. In 1790 Mr. Neely

and family moved to Kentucky and lived for about two

years near Lexington in that state; then moved to

Mercer County, Ky., where Mrs. Ralston was born, Oct.

19, 1792. At this writing there is but one of the family

living besides Mrs. R., a sister, Juliette Johnson, who

resides in California. She was the youngest child. The

Neely family are of Irish origin. The grandparents of

Mrs. Ralston on both her father and mother's side were

born in Ireland. Her father, Joseph Neely, died in 1806,

and her mother in 1811. After the death of her parents

Mrs. Ralston returned to Kentucky and lived with a sister

in Bath County, near Licking River. Here she became

acquainted with and married Andrew D. Ralston in November,

1817, remaining in that vicinity until May 1,

1818, when she returned to this county with her husband

and settled in Princeton. He was a blacksmith

and worked at his trade there about eight years. In

1826 they moved on a farm about one mile southeast of

Fort Branch. There Mr. Ralston died Jan. 4, 1829. At

that time their family comprised five children, two sons

and three daughters, viz., Dr. W. G. Ralston, a physician

in Evansville, and Martha J. Hopkins, a resident

of Fort Branch. The third child was accidentally killed on

the farm at the age of seven. Nancy Holcomb also

resides in Fort Branch, and Elizabeth Hennenway

The fifth child, lives in Boonville, Warrick County, this

state.