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The historian Richard Pierce quoted in his citation-free "Biographical Dictionary" from certain "recollections of California in 1848" (presumably not a work title) by one James G. Ward. The recollection in question begins: "A Russian acquaintance in Santa Cruz started for the mines in an ox-drawn wagon."

James Ward of California is a difficult name to Google. Who was this person and what did he write?

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I believe you are looking for James Ward who is credited with writing the book, "Perils, Pastimes, and Pleasures of an Emigrant in Australia, Vancouver’s Island and California." (See: Perils, Pastimes, and Pleasures of an Emigrant in Australia, Vancouver’s Island and California).

He is also mentioned on page 65 in a book called Gold Seeking: Victoria and California in the 1850s by David Goodman.

I hope this gives you a little more to go on! Best of luck.

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  • This is helpful. Great lead, I thought you had solved it. Your links lead to two James Wards, one who wrote "Perils, Pastimes, and Pleasures" and one who wrote "A History of Gold". Neither used a middle initial and neither wrote the quote used by Pierce. – Aaron Brick Jan 19 '17 at 6:23
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Pierce copied the name out wrong. The author was James C. Ward, author of a series of "Extracts from my Diary" published in The Argonaut during 1878.

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