In response to:
"I do not find any Alexander Braden living in IL and have no idea why the lady from Galatia connected (erroniously) our James Braden with Alexander."

I also have never found an Alexander Braden anywhere other than the one in Wilson Co TN who had a son named James who lived concurrently with the James Braden of Saline/Hamilton. I think she was looking for any Bradens and found Alexander mentioned in the book "Tennessee Cousins" which was the Bible of S ILL genealogists in those days. There wasn't a lot else in print then.

and to this:
" There is record of James Braden living in Ham Co before he married Unicy Smith but I find no record of John Braden in the area before he married Minerva Hogg, but her father Samuel was there 1820 so may just be an unrecorded marriage"

Just a thought. James was listed in the 1820 Franklin Co census. Another young adult male in the house could have been John. I have always wondered why I've not seen a marriage or divorce rec. for John and first wife. If the marriage was in Franklin Co--perhaps? It might have been destroyed by the courthouse fire. Many had records re-done after the fire, but if someone was divorced, why would they bother to re-record the marriage? Just a theory to ponder.
Susan