Ken,
I certainly can understand what your going through. For nearly 4 years now, I have been researching Wigginton (any spelling) men who fought in the war. Wigginton is a pretty uncommon name and it still gets tough sometimes. I don't think my ancestors were too creative with names because there are many different men who share the same name. In Mississippi alone, I am chasing what might be 4 or 5 different Williams. I even have two Peyton's in Virginia. When I first started my research, I thought for sure that it was only one man because I don't consider that to be a common name. As it turns out, it is two different men. Another thing that makes life interesting is the huge variety of spelling variations and errors. I have found several men buried with names that most people wouldn't even come up. It does make it a challenge but that's why it is so fun and rewarding. Good luck!