Joseph Henry Munroe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in February 1849. His family moved to Burlington, Iowa, when he was four years old, and his father soon died. Banging on pots and pans with any sticks he could find, he began to fancy himself a drummer boy.
Munroe was only 12 years old when the War Between the States began, but he volunteered for the cause, marching with General Fremont, General Buell and General Grant. On a Sunday morning in April 1862, he found himself on the front lines of Shiloh, Tennessee, near a little church of that name. As the battle raged on, the Drummer Boy of Shiloh was captured by rebel forces and taken to the infamous prison in Andersonville.
Miraculously, he managed to escape. Rather than flee back home, he re-enlisted and served throughout the war, fighting in 27 major battles. After the war, he settled in Peoria, where he taught music at Peoria Central High School, led several fine orchestras and married Miss Anna Conrade of Peoria. They had a beautiful daughter, Marguerite. Munroe died in November of 1919, at the age of 70.
Expect the unexpected.
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