In order to build the tree successfully, you will first need to determine where this person lived at the time of each census. Military records must come later.

For example, the 1850 census includes four men named William Boyd (or Boud) born about 1830 or 1829, no middle initials reported. They are found in in Jackson, Newton, Burke and Columbia Counties GA. All these are gone by 1860 except William P. Boyd, living in Newton County GA.