REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom.

Welcome to the Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery Wreaths Across America Page. 

Nestled in beautiful Solano County California lies the historic Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery. This cemetery is the oldest military cemetery in the Pacific States. It was the post cemetery for the Benicia Barracks, which from 1849 to 1857 served as the Headquarters for the U.S. Army's Pacific Division. The cemetery contains 212 interments dating from 1849 to 1958. These interments include U.S. military personnel, civilians, unknowns, and foreign personnel (German and Italian POW's). The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Benicia Arsenal-Benicia Barracks Historic District.

This is a very special cemetery. The souls buried there actually have ties to the founding of our county. At this time, we know a little about four of the officers. All but 1 of the officers at Benicia, graduated from West Point. History about military officers during the 1800s tends to be easier to find due to records kept by the military. Please read on:

LT Charles Edward Jarvis (1821-1849 first to be interred at the cemetery):

Native of Maine. His Great Uncle Charles (physician and graduate of Harvard) was friends with Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and John Adams. His Uncle also played a part during Shays Rebellion. Leonard Jarvis, Charles’ great-grandfather, was the first Colonel of the “Kings Guards”. Charles graduated from West Point in 1843 with future President and classmate, Ulysses Grant. LT Jarvis was wounded during the War with Mexico at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. Charles’ parents moved to California and are on the 1860 Census. They are buried in Tuolumne County. There are more than likely Jarvis descendants still in California.

LT James Wall Schureman  (1822-1852):

Native of New Jersey. Graduated the class before Jarvis and Grant at West Point in 1842. Many of his classmate became generals during the Civil War. James was at various battles during the War with Mexico. His Grandfather, James, led soldiers with the New Jersey militia during the American Revolution.  Grandfather James was captured by the British at Bergen Hill and escaped with a cousin from one the “sugar house” prisons in New York. Family lore says the same James Schureman stopped the business end of a bayonet from ending the life of a certain Captain John Simcoe of the Queens Rangers. Yes, the same Simcoe from AMC’s Culpepper Spy Ring show “Turn”. Simcoe was just taken prisoner. And the connection to our founding doesn’t stop there. Grandfather James Schureman was a graduate of “Kings College” (now Rutgers University), New Jersey member of the Continental Congress (1786-8), US Senator and a US Representative. The grandson, the James buried in Benicia, commissioned a portrait of himself more than likely while posted at the Buffalo Barracks in New York as a gift for his sister. Sadly, he passed away on a ship in the San Francisco Bay from a ruptured blood vessel at age 30.

MAJ Albert Stuart Miller (1803-1852):

Native of Tennessee. His father Pleasant Miller was a well-known politician in Tennessee. Miller graduated from West Point in 1823 and made the Army a career much of it out on the "frontier". He was posted in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri River, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York…among just the few places he was lived courtesy of the Army. During the War with Mexico, he was “brevetted” to the rank of MAJOR. His last post was at the Benicia Barracks. His grandfather was William Blount.  William was one of the signers of our Constitution from North Carolina. Williams history beyond that is a bit colorful. He was a great part of Tennessee becoming a state. If Albert kept any sort of journal during his career about the places he saw and people he met it would be quite fascinating.

LTCOL James Louis Mason (1817-1853):

Native of Rhode Island. Graduated from West Point in 1836 as an Engineer. His father Milo, also an Engineer, graduated in 1807. Deep roots in the “New World”. He is a descendant of John Mason who came to the New England area in the early 1620s. Also a descendant of William Bradford who came over on the Mayflower.  James had quite the career as an Engineer.  After graduating from West Point, James went on to be the Assistant Engineer during the building of Ft Adams in New Port Harbor and as the Superintending Engineer of construction of the Pier, Dike and Lighthouse at Goat Island in Rhode Island. He also assisted with the building of Ft Montgomery at the outlet of Lake Champlain, New York. Mason was promoted 3 times during the War with Mexico. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Molino de Rey in 1847. Following the war, LTCOL Mason was the Superintending Engineer of repairs at Ft Marion and Seawall at St Augustine and the building of Ft Clinch in Fernandina in Florida. LTCOL Mason was also one of the Engineers during the construction of defenses at Fort Point, entrance to the San Franciso Bay. The fort happens to be at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Although James and his wife only had one child, they have descendants all over the United States with great-grandsons serving in the military.  

On December 13, 2025 (Wreath Placement Immediately Following Ceremony), Wreaths Across America will be at the Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.

Please help our location lay wreaths at as many graves as possible by clicking the red "Sponsor" button.

Thank you so much for supporting the Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery and Wreaths Across America!