James was a noted revivalist. He was among the founders of William Jewell College in 1849. In April 1850, James left his family for California to visit his brother Drury Woodson James, who had already relocated to the state.[9] He also planned to prospect for gold and preach to the crowds of goldminers during the California gold rush. Shortly after arriving in California in August 1850, he contracted cholera and died on August 18, 1850, in the Hangtown Gold Camp[citation needed], later known as Placerville. He was buried there in an unmarked grave. Probate records show that at his death he owned six slaves and was a commercial hemp farmer.
James's death left his family saddled with debts and many of his possessions, including one of the slaves, were auctioned off to pay them. His widow Zerelda married Benjamin Simms, a wealthy farmer, on September 30, 1852. This, however, did not last and they soon separated, with Zerelda marrying a third time to a country doctor.
↑Dornan, John Frederick. "Adventurers of Purse and Person: Virginia, 1607-1624/25", Fourth Edition, Volume 2. Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, 2007, p. 841.
↑McCartney, Martha W. "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary". Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, 2007, p. 763.
↑Gwathmey, John H. "Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution", orig. 1938. Reprinted Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, 1979. P. 631.
