A Confederate Claim that is Not Mine

Names that are common present obvious research problems.

Names that are extremely rare have their own challenges although there are advantages to searching for names that are highly unique.

Sometimes names that are in between have their own issues as well. is the person yours or not? The name is rare enough to make you wonder, but common enough to make you think it could be another person of the same name.

A search of Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms  on Fold3 resulted in the location of a claim for man named Asa Landon, not the most common of names. I am also researching a man named Asa Landon and the Asa of interest lived in nearby Missouri in 1860. Is this Confederate Asa my Asa? Unassuming researchers, following those ever present "leaves" on Ancestry.com might be tempted to say "yes." I was not so tempted, but I was curious.

This claim was paid to Landon in Ft. Nelson, Arkansas in 1863. Research was actually focused on an Asa Landon, born about 1796 in Canada who lived in Winnebago County, Illinois, in 1850; in Union County, Iowa, in the 1850s; and in Christian County, Missouri, in 1860. At some point, before the 1871 Canadian census, Asa heads back to Canada where he eventually dies.

So is that Asa Landon in the Confederate Papers the Asa for whom I am looking? Or is it another Asa?

Determining if there are other Asa Landons in the area who could be the claimant one of the first steps.

A Soundex-search for "Asa Landon" on Ancestry.com in 1860 resulted in the following matches:

Asa Landon	Kendall, Kendall, Illinois	abt 1792	Connecticut
Asa Landon	Benton, Christian, Missouri	abt 1798	New York
Asa Landon	Rockland, Ontonagon, Michigan	abt 1823	Canada
Asa Landon	Alford, Berkshire, Massachusetts	abt 1838	Connecticut
Asa HLandon	Hartford, Warren, Iowa	abt 1839	Ohio
Asa Landon	Monegaw, St Clair, Missouri	abt 1843	Canada
Asa Landon	Elk Horn, Carroll, Illinois	abt 1854	Illinois
Asa Lanton	Dummerston, Windham, Vermont	abt 1797	Vermont
Asa Lanydin	Marcellon, Columbia, Wisconsin	abt 1838	Ohio
Asa C Linton	Mantua, Gloucester, New Jersey	abt 1797	Pennsylvania
Asa London	Wrightsville, York, Pennsylvania	abt 1808	New York

One might be tempted to think that the Christian County, Missouri, Asa is the one who filed the claim. The 1860 census search seems to indicate they could be the same man. This may or may not be the case. And there is nothing in the claim that indicates Asa was in the United States in 1860. He may very well have not been. The census search could have easily missed other Asa Landons because the names were spelled incorrectly, transcribed incorrectly, etc.  A search of the 1870 census is in order as well.

That search located several Asa Landons--the first one on the alphabetical list appears to be a better match for the Asa who filed the claim and not the Asa in Christian County, Missouri, in 1860. This 1870 Asa would have been the right age in 1863 to have filed a claim.

Asa Landon	Cotton Plant, Woodruff, Arkansas	abt 1826	Canada	Male
Azro H Landon [Asa Landon]	Vergennes, Addison, Vermont	abt 1833	Vermont	Male
Asa H Landon	Maple, Monona, Iowa	abt 1841	Missouri	Male
Asa Landon	Monegaw, St Clair, Missouri	abt 1844	Canada	Male
Asa Landon	Elkhorn Grove, Carroll, Illinois	abt 1854	Illinois	Male
Asa Landon	Monegaw, St Clair, Missouri	abt 1866	Illinois	Male
Asa Lindan	Chicago Ward 19, Cook, Illinois	abt 1869	Illinois	Male
Asa London	Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri	abt 1808	New York	Male

Have I completed an exhaustive search? No. Based upon these census enumerations, it appears to me that the Asa who filed the claim in 1863 is not the one for whom I am looking that lived in Christian County, Missouri in 1860. If I wanted to be even more certain, I could track the Woodruff County Asa Landon more. 

At this point, I'm not certain that's necessary. My research notes indicate why I think that the Asa who filed the claim is not "mine." And later if I need to revisit the research, I can. 

It's also important to keep in mind the research goals on "my" Asa Landon. He is my step-3rd great-grandfather whose family (including his step-children) left southern Missouri and returned north during the American Civil War. His step-daughter indicated in later years that they family had no connection with their step-father or half siblings after that point in time.

My research is focused on Asa's wife (who died before 1856 in either Illinois or Iowa) and her first husband.  It doesn't look like this claim even involves my Asa and, if it does, it's unlikely to help me in my actual search.