I don't find most of the similarities between E F Beale's papers and Ward's pamphlet to be all that telling, but I believe, based solely on one find, that you are likely right; that indeed elements of the earlier Beale Paper influenced the latter.
Started expedition in St Louis --- --- Left St Louis - St. Louis was called the "Gateway City" for a reason- virtually all central and southwestern expeditions left from it- so this isn't strong.
Expedition had 30 men--- --- Expedition had 30 men- not an unusual amount; the 1812 Becknell expedition had 30, Lewis/Clark had 33, the Nordic explorers mentioned on the Kensington Runestone also numbered 30.
Went to Santa Fe --- --- Went to Santa Fe- Like St. Louis, its called the Santa Fe Trail for a reason. If you went into the southwest after 1822 you took that trail and you went through Santa Fe. Not strong.
Traveled in Colorado--- ---Found gold and silver in Colorado- again, not unusual. Gold and silver is what lured most Americans to Colorado. When Zebulon Pike was in Santa Fe in 1807, he met an American named "Pursley" who said he too had discovered gold afew years earlier in Colorado.
Born in 1822 --- ---Letters to Morriss dated 1822, Ward born 1822- True
Published journal as "THE BEALE PAPERS"--- ---Ward pamphlet "THE BEALE PAPERS"- actually, this isn't quite accurate. Ward's paper also includes all the secondary wordings listed on the front cover as part of its copyright/title....its long a very clunky...and very typical of the 19th Century.
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One journey listed as 1817 miles--- --- Started journey in 1817- True
Gold was NOT found by E F --- ---One of T J's men found the gold- again, referencing Pursley above- just not strong evidence. The "Denver Nuggets" were given that name for a reason.
Recieved $13,000 for an adventure--- --- Exchanged silver for $13,000 for transportation- This is compelling and perhaps the strongest indication that the 1850 Beale Papers were indeed referenced to produce the 1885 Beale Papers. "$13,000" is just too specific a number to be coincidence.
Similar words and terms used in both "BEALE PAPERS"- This isn't strong enough evidence.
So the question arises-Happenstance,Coincidence,or Deliberate Plaglarism on the part of Ward to sell a concocted treasure story with one solved cipher solved,the other two unsolvable?...
I believe a variation of the third option is most likely; not out and out plagerism per se but simply a borrowing of elements. Its what was borrowed which is important... I also don't believe Ward was the author. For Ward, why be inspired, literally out of the blue, to pen such an odd document and then never write again?
I don't believe it was written for profit either however. I'm just musing over the amount of effort involved to have typeset it all- not just the ciphers but number-keying the DOI as well... If all the extant copies were destroyed and the author and typesetter had no way to reproduce what had been lost, what would the reason have been to never let the cat out of the bag later on...particularly given the fact that almost no read the original to begin with? I mean, who cares at that point?