author
E. Gould (Edward Gould) Buffum
1820–1867
A journalist, soldier, and Gold Rush observer, he turned firsthand experience in early California into a vivid narrative of travel, conflict, and mining life. His writing brings the chaotic first years of American California close enough to feel lived-in.
1 Audiobook
Six months in the gold mines : from a journal of three years' residence in Upper and Lower California. 1847-8-9
by E. Gould (Edward Gould) Buffum
About the author
Born in Rhode Island in 1820, Edward Gould Buffum was the son of reformer Arnold Buffum. He began his career in journalism with the New York Herald, then left that work when the Mexican-American War began and went to California as an officer in the 7th Regiment of New York Volunteers.
After arriving in California, Buffum stayed on through the turbulent years that followed. He tried his luck in the gold fields, worked in journalism in San Francisco, and later became known for Six Months in the Gold Mines, his account of life in California in 1847, 1848, and 1849. The book is valued for its direct, eyewitness view of the Gold Rush era and the dramatic transition of California during and after the war.
Later in life, Buffum returned to newspaper work and is also noted in historical sources as having served as a Paris correspondent for the New York Herald. He died in Paris in 1867, leaving behind one of the memorable firsthand books about early Gold Rush California.