United States....Land Patent-Mississippi, 1841

Sale of public lands in Mississippi and Alabama was handled through a United States Land Office established in a fort or local population center. Land was first offered at public auction, then any land remaining unsold was available for "private sale" or "private entry." A partial payment was made for a tract of land, and when final payment was received and the final certificate issued, a patent was recorded and sent to the land office to be given to the owner. Frequently, a settler making payments would assign his title to the land to another individual, noted on government documents as the "assignee."

Covington County, Mississippi, was formed in 1819, the fourteenth county to be organized from the lands of the original Mississippi Territory. It was named for General Leonard Covington, a casualty of the War of 1812. Covington County is situated in the south central part of the state.

Augusta, Perry County, Mississippi, was the site of a U.S. Government land office where public lands were sold to incoming settlers. The town was located on the Leaf River, a major transportation route in the early 19th century.

No biographical information is available on Alexander McLeod or John McLaurin.