Preston could not read or write, so the spelling of his name is however the census taker or clerk chose to spell it. His children chose different spellings.

He was listed in the Rowan County Militia on 16 Sep 1863.

Preston was shot in the side during the Civil War by John Jackson Nickell (son of Fowler Nickell), who had come with a band of Confederate supporters to “requisition” his horses. He walked with a cane the rest of his life. Partly because of this, all the Pettits and Riddles were pro-Union, not so much out of politics but because many of the Confederate supporters in the area were irregulars who were often little better than highway robbers. (Most of the Halls supported the Confederacy.) After the war was over, Nickell was tried for war crimes (most notably the murder of his cousin John Desha Nickell), convicted, and hung. Preston testified at his trial.

W. Lynn Nickell of West Liberty, Ky wrote a book about it in 1997, entitled “Hanging Justice: The Military Trial of John Jackson Nickell”, which includes the full text of the witness testimonies as recorded by the trial clerk. It can be ordered from the author for $25, at http://ewdesigns.com/nickell/.

Gravestones in Trent-Black cemetery on Trent Ridge have no dates, only bronze plaques embedded into the otherwise blank stones, reading "Press Pettitt - Great Grandfather" and "Mary Pettitt - Great Grandmother". Preston was listed as a witness at the September 1906 wedding of John Lambert and Vesta Riddle, and in March 1909 Mary remarried to Harvey Fraley, so he must have died in 1907 or 1908.

Jessie Petitt Family Bible1 has entry "Martha and Mary Riddle was Bornd August 14th 1839." This would agree with the 1840 census, which lists 2 daughters of John William Riddle under 4, and with the 1880 census, which gives Mary's age as 41. But it would disagree with the 1870 census, which gives her age as 29, and with the 1900 census, which gives April 1841 as Mary's date of birth. (See Census Notes for Preston Pettit and John William Riddle.)

Her death certificate, file #11632, records Mary Fraley died 19 Apr 1916 in Rowan Co., precinct #7, age 76 years 8 months 12 days, married, born 7 Aug 1840 in Morgan Co., Ky, father John A. Riddle, mother unknown, attending physician J. Wilson, cause of death cerebral hemorrhage, burial in Black Cemetery, informant and undertaker Wm. Petitt of Crix, Ky.

Many of the details given by William Petitt are wrong: Mary was really born in Bath Co., and her father’s middle initial was not A. but W. Possibly Willie got Mary’s father confused with Pressie’s half-brother named John A. Pettit - if he didn’t know his grandmother’s name at all, he wasn’t likely to be too sure of his grandfather’s middle name. Mary’s birthday may have been 7 August as Willie gives it; the date of 14 August is from the Jessie Petitt bible, and there is no strong reason to prefer Jessie and Emma’s knowledge to Willie’s. But the bible entry was made shortly after Jessie and Emma were married, while both Martha and Mary were still alive, so I give it some edge. The 1840 census is my reason for preferring the 1839 year to 1840.

Rowan Co. marriage records, on LDS microfilm #216839, record marriage on 21 Oct 1858 of Preston Pettit, 21, born Morgan Co., and Mary Riddle, 20, born Bath Co., first marriage for both parties.

1860 Census of Rowan Co., KY, (June 11), Morehead, lists family #102:
Preston Pettit, 22; Mary, 20. Both born in KY.

1870 Census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek precinct, page 4, taken June 9, lists family #22:
Pettit, Presley: 39, Mary: 29, Martha: 8, Nancy: 6, John: 2, all born in KY. (The age of "39" for Pressie is probably an error; it does not agree with the 1850, 1880, or 1900 censuses or other records. "Presley" is probably the census taker's misunderstanding of "Pressie".)

1880 census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek Prec. (#4), lists family #419 as:
Pettit, Preston, 43 (farmer); Mary S. 41; Nancy Jane: 15; John 11; Elizabeth, 8; Mary, 5; William; 2. Mary's mother is listed as born in New York, all other family members born in Kentucky.

1885 tax lists of Rowan Co. lists on p. 34:
Petitt, Preston, 30 acres, neighbor Jas. Jones, 1 male over 21, 4 children 6-20. (People in other categories are not enumerated.) The 4 children would be Johnnie, Lizzie, Mary, and Willie. Jesse was only 4. [The only other Pettits on the tax roll were Anderson Petitt, no acres, no children 6-20, 1 male over 21, and James Pettit, 100 acres, neighbor Dan'l Ginter, 1 male over 21, no children 6-20. Anderson does not appear in any other records; perhaps he is Benjamin's son Leander?]

1890 Tax Rolls of Hogtown Prec., Rowan Co., KY, lists on p. 36, line 8:
Preston Petit, 40 acres, neighbor John Black, 1 male over 21, 4 children 6-20. (People in other categories are not enumerated.)

1900 census of Rowan Co., KY, Hoggtown prec., p. 239B, lists as family #153/154:
head Petit, Preston: June 1842, w Mary: Apr 1841; yrs married 36, #children 9, #living 8; head Willis: May 1878; yrs married 2, #children 1, #living 1; w Mollie: May 1880, s Wales: July 1899, s Jesse: 1881, all members and their parents born in KY. (The yrs married is an error.)

I only know of 8 children for Preston and Mary, 7 of whom were living in 1900. Could one of my "unknown" Pettits actually be theirs? Or is the count in this census just wrong?