Andrew Ralston
Born somewhere in Scotland, February 25, 1753. His family settled in Pennsylvania during
the Indian wars of the 1750s and 60s. At the age of nine he and his brother Joseph witnessed
the massecre of his parents and their siblings who were not captured by the Indians. The
brothers escaped scalping and death by hiding. Immediately after this they were separated,
farmed out to different farmers and never saw each other again although they both fought
in the Revolutionary War and lived fairly close to each other, Joseph in Panhandle, West
Virginia and Andrew in York County, Pennsylvania.
Source: "Huntsman Annals" by Lamond Welcome Huntsman 1971
Andrew enlisted in the Contintental Army in Sunbury, Northumberland County, April 13,
1776, with Captain Casper Weitzell's Company of Cornell, Samuel Miles' Pennsylvania
Rifle Regiment.
Source: Pennsylvania Archives, 5th Series, Volume 2, page 281
He was taken prisoner in the battle of Long Island (his first) August 27, 1776 along
with 15 others. (5th Series, Vol 2, page 278.) Nothing is said of his escape but he
fought during the summer of 1777, receiving a head wound at the battle of Brandywine.
He was also at Valley Forge when the farmer-patriots were taught the modern arts of
war by Baron von Steuben, the great German general. He left Valley Forge a sergeant
and fought through the rest of the war.
He served eight years in all and records show he was in service as late as November 3,
1783, the year the final settlement was agreed upon and signed. The records show that
he received several certificates (of pay) of various amounts dated July 1, 1784. We
can be proud that he was not one of the great numbers of men who quit the army when
they were most needed.
Farming was his life before and after the war, however, a search of land records in
York and Adams Counties shows no titles to property held by Andrew Ralston. In 1785 he
married Sophia Waltimyer and had eleven children. Since all of their children were
born in Adams County he may have worked for or with his father-in-law. He never
claimed the bounty lands to which he was entitled through his service in the war,
perhaps because it would have meant leaving the area and their relatives.
Source of all information on Andrew: "Huntsman Annals" by Lamond Welcome Huntsman 1971.
Andrew is #2 on Chart 12
|