Detailed information about Eunice Fenton has never been found. She married Leland in 1858, gave him two children, then died in and around 1862 [according to Leland’s Civil War pension].

DNA Results for Leland Arthur Salts:
Two cousins descending from Leland’s line have given DNA samples. A solid match of 94.13% was found between these two men in FamilyTreeDNA results, however, the same two cousins did not match the other Salts DNA samples that have been identified through previous samples collected. After many years of speculation, it is now confirmed that Leland Arthur Salts, could have been the biological son of Jacob McCardle and Rebecca Ball. Which means, after Jacob’s death, his widow, Rebecca Ball McCardle, with an infant girl child, was also pregnant with Leland when she married Daniel Salts. The girl, Hannah Emaline Salts, always showed up on the census as a Salts, but was later married under the name of McCardle. Leland was born a Salts and raised as a Salts. With this knowledge, the McCardle-Salts DNA trail has been established.

Name - He has been found as John Leland Arthur Salts, but not on the same document.

Dates recorded for Leland's birth...
1830 census - between 1815 and 1820
1840 census - between 1820 and 1825
1850 census - age 32. b.1818
1870 census - age 50 b. 1820
1880 census - age 59 - b. 1821
1886 birth certificate for son Charles Lavern, Leland’s age was given as 66, born 1820

14 August 1862 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1818
2 September 1862 - CW Muster Roll gave age as 44 - b. 1818
9 January 1863 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1818
[Leland changed companies at this point in his military career. His age was recorded as 44. There are many papers that follow, but all use the same age. So it looks like he was age 44 from the point where he joined in 1862 to the end of the war in 1865.]
14 May 1864 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1820 (by two months)
1 June 1864 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1820 (by three months)
28 October 1864 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1820
6 June 1865 - CW papers gave age as 44 - b. 1821
14 January 1886 - CW pension application gave age as 67 - b. 1818

In conclusion, evaluating all of the different years of birth recorded for Leland Salts, the year 1824 has only been used by the Missouri Salts family. This date they took from the Old Salts’ Pedigree Letter written in 1878 by Daniel Napoleon Saults (Leland’s son). And, although there are conflicting dates, most documents have the year of 1818 showing as his date of birth.

General Notes from the Illinois Salts branch - Leland was baptised in Greene County, Tennessee

1824, August 30th - Thomas Ball [Rebecca Ball’s father] dies. Leland is mentioned in the will as an executor along with Nathan Barnes. Hannah Emaline McCardle Salts is listed as Emily McCardle, and was given a cow.

1850 - Subdivision 10, Greene County, Tennessee Census38
SALTS, Leland 32 bridge keeper TN
SALTS, Mary 24 TN
Davis 6 TN
Frances 3 TN
Elmira 10/12 TN

1853 - Sometime after the 1850 census was taken, Leland and his family moved to Corydon, Indiana. This is where their fourth child, Daniel Napoleon Salts was born on the 18th of May in 1853. It is also known that Leland's family soon started moving north along the wagon trails as Leland searched for work as a blacksmith. Descendants of Leland’s third marriage who are still living in Galesburg, Illinois area, knew of this families time in Corydon, but said that Leland's time in this state was only a ‘stopover’ while he continued to travel and searched for work. At some point, Leland's family made their way up to Springfield, Illinois -before migrating up to Knox County, Illinois. Each move was associated with looking for work and associated with stops along the trails that were heading west.

1855, August 24 - His wife, Mary Jane McGinnis dies in Henderson, Knox County, Illinois

1858, November 14 - He marries second, Eunice Fenton in Knox County, Illinois

1859, August - Son James Henry “Jim” is born in Illinois

1860 - I can not find him on the 1860 census

1862-1865 - Civil War activity
Leland first enrolled in the Civil War in Rio, IL on the 14th of August, 1862 as a private when he was 44. From this document we learn that he was around 5’ 8” with brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. It also states that he was married and his occupation was a Blacksmith. He listed his birth state as Washington County, Tennessee. He was discharged for disability on the 9th of January 1868.75,76 He was registered with Company F : 102 Infantry Regiment of Illinois Volunteers at Henderson, Illinois by C.H. Jackson. He was mustered into service on September 21, 1862 at Knoxville, Illinois (formal Disability Discharge papers record it being from Louisville, KY77). At this time he registered his place of residence as Rio, Knox Co., Illinois. On January 9, 1863 he must have been wounded. He was discharged for disability at Louisville, Kentucky.78 From his military records, it was found that he was sick and spent a great deal of this time in hospital with diarrhea and hepatitis at Peoria, Ills.66

When Leland recovered from his first injury, he enlisted again with Company D : 139th Illinois Volunteers Group as a Corporal on the 14th of May 1864 in Galesburg79. However, he did not stay in very long for this duty. He developed Brights disease, diarrhea and stomach problems and was honorably discharged on the 28th of October 186475. He apparently got sick from the food, sanitation and living conditions. From his Civil War and medical records it was claimed that he had chronicle laryngitis and general debility.66

Eunice was pregnant with one of her two children.59

In Leland’s Civil War Pension papers, there is a General Affidavit signed by Willison Highfield and Daniel B. Jacksen (Jackson). In this document, they both support Ann as Leland’s third wife. And that his second wife, Eunice (not mentioned in name), died in 1862.66

1863, May 25th - “List of Persons residing in Division 6 of Collection District No. 5 of the state of Illinois, liable to a tax under law as of the United States, and the amount thereof, as assessed by D. Sanborn - SALTS, Laland residing in Henderson requested a Class B Licenses to retail liquor. His tax due was $20.00

1868, Aug 18th - Leland married Ann Driffel In Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois.

1870, July 15th - United States Federal Census: Illinois, Warren County, Kelly, Ionia Post Office, dwelling #225, family #219, taken on the 15th of July 1870. His name has been recorded in the census as LALTS, but it’s him.80
LALTS, Lealand 50 m w blacksmith TN
LALTS, Ann 28 m w home keeper NY
LALTS, James 11 m w IL
LALTS, Margaret 1 f w IL

Notes about the 1870 census finding from Kathy Sults Neave a descendant of Leland’s - They lived in a little village called Shanghai City, near Alexis, Illinois. It was wiped out by either a fire or a storm, don't remember which. There are still a few buildings there. It is in Warren County. He, Leland, drove a dray wagon hauling things. His son Arthur Leland also lived in Alexis so they stayed pretty close to home.

1880 - North Henderson, Mercer County, Illinois Census71
SALTS, Leland 59 drayman TN England MD
SALTS, Ann 34 wife keeping house NY England NY
SALTS, James 21 son farm laborer IL TN NY
SALTS, William 9 son IL TN NY
SALTS, Lillie 6 dau IL TN NY
SALTS, Authur L. 1 son IL TN NY

1892 - On January 8, 1982, Leland visited over the holidays with D.N. in Knob Noster, MO. He brought a son with him.81

1896, March 16th - Leland died in North Henderson, Mercer County, Illinois. He is buried in Mt. Vernon Methodist Cemetery, North Henderson Township, Mercer County, Illinois.

Family Notes.....
The mystery involving Leland and his Christian name. Recent documents have shown that his first name was John and that his second name was Leland.82 Whether due to fashion or for easy identification from the other John Salts’ living around him in Tennessee at that time, nearly all documents found relating to this man known as John Leland show him using his middle name, Leland. Also, the Knob Noster, Missouri Saults descendants always referred to him as Leland Arthur; however, no documents have ever been found identifying “Arthur” as his middle name. From communication with his descendants still living in Tennessee in 1960 and with his descendants of Illinois, he was always known as Leland Arthur. This name has been passed down through the family with the majority of his thirteen children. [His name John can be found on Daniel Napoleon Saults’ death certificate].

It is thought that his son, D.N. Saults did not get along very well with his father, Leland. A granddaughter of D.N.'s, Marian Virginia Saults Cassing, remembers her father telling her that after D.N.'s mother, Mary Jane McGinnis Saults’ death, Leland gave his children to different relatives and friends to be raised.25 58

There is not much information on the relationship of the other children with their father, or if any of them were ever in communication with him45. Leland did, however, visit his son D.N. in Knob Noster before his death83 -- Leland wrote D.N., telling him that if he wanted to see him (Leland) alive, he (D.N.), had better come and see him now. D.N. wrote back, saying, no. He would not come. But if he want to see me you will have to come to Knob Noster. So Leland came over Christmas later that year with his son, Will from his third marriage84. Leland, D.N., Will and Harlow met on the sidewalk and Leland started crying. D.N. told him to hush up. Will, and stepbrother Harlow, met for the first time. Harlow remembers his half uncle, Will, giving his father (D.N.) a beautiful ivory pocketknife.83

When John Leland Salts was quite ill, a wire was sent to D.N. in Knob Noster, MO to come at once. The story continues by D.N. saying that he didn’t receive the wire in time. However, it is the authors’ belief (from listening to what has not been said by those who hold the stories), that D.N. chose not to go and see his father using the excuse of the wire had come too late. He never forgave his father for abandoning them when they were children and starting a new family elsewhere.26

In the records of the Mt. Vernon Cemetery records it states that he was a veteran of the Cuban War. However, between his three wives and thirteen children there doesn’t seem to be enough time for him to have gone off to a war.

From an interview with a gr granddaughter from his third marriage to Ann Driffell, it was said that he wrote the roster for the 123rd Unit, which was formed at Knoxville. She also said that Leland had beautiful handwriting and that his third wife, Ann, could not read or write.59

Leland was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Office in Springfield, Ill.59

Leland Salts is the only inscription on his tombstone.

John Leland is listed as Laland Salts.49