Beverly National Cemetery

Beverly National Cemetery is located in Burlington County's Edgewater Park, in the city of Beverly, NJ.

The original cemetery was only one acre, purchased from a local resident in 1863. The plot was located in the northwest corner of the town cemetery surrounded by a picket fence. Additional land was acquired in 1936, 1937, 1948 and 1951.

The cemetery was established to provide a burial site for veterans who died in one of two nearby hospitals. Of the original 147 Union soldiers buried at Beverly National Cemetery, only 10 are unknown. For much of its history, the cemetery handled relatively few interments. The number of interments grew dramatically, however, when space became unavailable at Philadelphia National Cemetery. Beverly National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 435 Medal of Honor recipients interred at VA national cemeteries including 6 double recipients.

» Medal of Honor recipients interred or memorialized here:

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward C. Benfold (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Navy in recognition of conspicuous gallantry and self-sacrifice in Korea, September 5, 1952. Benfold is buried in Section DS, Site 12.

Sergeant First Class Nelson Vogel Brittin (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry, in recognition of conspicuous gallantry and self-sacrifice in the vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, March 7, 1951. Brittin is buried in Section DS, Site 2.

First Sergeant John W. Dutko (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division, in recognition of conspicuous gallantry and self-sacrifice near Ponte Rotto, Italy, May 23, 1944. Dutko is buried in Section DS, Site 1.

First Sergeant Barnard A. Strasbaugh (Civil War). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 3rd Maryland Infantry, for actions in Petersburg, VA, June 17, 1864. His citation was awarded under the name of Bernard A. Strausbaugh. He died in November 1864 and is buried in Section 1, Site 102.

Other Burials
Captain Caleb Bruen (Revolutionary War). Bruen (1735–1818) hailed from Newark, NJ and worked as a cabinet maker before the Revolutionary War. When that conflict began, he enlisted in Joseph Alling's Company of Essex County Minute Men in 1776. That same year he became captain of a company of artificers (skilled artisans and carpenters) who constructed numerous fortifications during the New York Campaign. In April 1777, he was captured by Loyalists and was released three months later on the condition that he serve as a spy for the British. Incredibly, Bruen became a double agent, funneling useful intelligence to General Nathanael Greene. In 1781 he was found out and imprisoned in a dungeon for ten months, where he nearly starved to death. After the war, General Henry Knox agreed to pay Bruen $300 for his "services and sufferings." Bruen passed away at the age of 82 and was originally interred in the graveyard of Newark's First Presbyterian Church. His remains were moved to Beverly National Cemetery on June 23, 1959 and he now rests in Section S, Site 193.

7 Unknown Revolutionary War Soldiers. These Revolutionary War soldiers were killed in a skirmish with British troops near Camden in early 1778. They were originally buried where they fell, near Haddon Avenue. The graves were rediscovered in 1920, and headstones were provided by the federal government in 1931 for the tiny plot behind the First Baptist Church and a local firehouse. The remains were moved to Beverly National Cemetery in 1955, where they now lie in a single gravesite in Section F, Site 1879-H.