NevCoCalGal

James M. Ballard was born April 18, 1817 in South Carolina and was raised in Tennessee. After his service, he would later be connected with another historic moment in America's history when he rushed off for GOLD in California in 1849. In California, he began mining at German Bar, on the middle Yuba River, remaining in that endeavor for about 5 years. He then moved to Nevada Twp., Nevada County, California where he was a witness in a trial in 1857, in which Henry Plumer was accused of the shooting death of John Vedder. Plumer was found guilty, but the case then went to the Supreme Court, juror misconduct was proven, whereupon a new trial was ordered with a change of venue to Yuba County. Plumer was again found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in San Quentin Prison. He served only scant months of this sentence by faking an illness afterwhich he received a pardon from then Califonia Governor John B. Weller. Plumer, whose surname was most often later spelled Plummer would have many other run-ins of a nefarious nature and eventually wound up in Idaho Territory (now Montana), where he was elected sheriff of Bannock. Interesting similarities between his antics of old in Nevada County, Calif. would now be replicated in Montana with Henry again sporting a badge. But later people began putting two and two together and a vigilante group was formed. After some of his band were apprehended the beans were spilled that the leader of their group of highwaymen, aka The Innocents, was none other than Sheriff Henry Plummer. The Montana Vigilantes quickly took matters in hand and Henry and many of his cohorts were hung. James M. Ballard remained in Nevada County and can be seen on the 1860 census in Nevada Twp. occupied as a painter. In 1865, he moved from Nevada Twp., but was still a resident of Nevada County, as he only moved as far as Eureka Twp. (now Graniteville). Here he was elected justice of the peace in 1868 and held that office continuously. He was further appointed a notary public during Governor Haight's administration and was appointed postmaster during Wannamaker's term as postmaster general . James M. Ballard died in Nevada County, California on Friday April 25, 1902. ...more