Comments:

Schopard  was a member of the Regimental Band of the 3rd United States Artillery Regiment.  The 3rd Artillery was founded back in 1821 and by 1850 had seen extensive service in the campaigns against the Native Americans and during the Mexican War.  During the 1850's most of the regiment was sent to the Pacific Northwest to participate in several actions against the Native Americans there.  In early 1861 the regiment was consolidated in San Francisco and most its companies were sent back to the East Coast where the Civil War was looming.  Company B remained to guard the San Francisco Bay, however, and was the first unit to garrison Camp Reynolds on Angel Island in 1863.  The Third Artillery's companies continued to serve at posts around the nation until the Spanish American War broke out.  Schopard's rather ornate tombstone lists him as having served in the Spanish American War... unfortunately the U.S.S. Maine had sunk only a week before his death, and war was not not officially declared until April of 1898.  The VA Gravesite Locator also mistakenly records (April 2004) his year of death as "1888."

Schopard, like many of the other Angel Island Post Cemetery's occupants, was a musician, illustrating how important bands were in the "old army."