Colonel William Munroe (October 28, 1742 – October 30, 1827) , Internet Archiv

Retrieved 2011-09-20 was a soldier in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He was the orderly sergeant of the Lexington militia at the

Battle of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, ...

and as a lieutenant at the Battle of Saratoga. He was also a militia colonel and a prominent man politically in the town of Lexington.

Ancestry

William Munroe was the great grandson of William Munroe, who was captured at the

Battle of Worcester The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell d ...

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

's troops, and taken to Boston as an indentured servant. He worked hard and quickly bought his freedom. He settled in the settlement of Cambridge Farms Parish, (later

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was firs ...

), Massachusetts, in a part of the town called Scotland.

Family

William Munroe was married to Anna Smith and they had six children. After her death in 1781 he later married Polly Rodgers. His obituary from the American Mercury (CT), Nov. 20, 1820, p. 1 reports: Death of another Revolutionary Hero.--

Businesses and occupations

Munroe owned two businesses in April 1775. One was his tavern, known as Munroe Tavern, and the other was a retail shop. Several pages of his ledger survive.Munro Taver

Lexington Historical Society website. Retrieved 2011-09-19. He was also the orderly sergeant of the Lexington militia.

Roles in the Battles of Lexington and Concord

William Munroe fought in the

Battle of Lexington The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, ...

acting as orderly sergeant in the company commanded by Captain John Parker. Later in the day, his home, Munroe Tavern, was occupied by Colonel

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

. Percy placed a cannon on the tavern's land, and used it as a field hospital and refuge for retreating troops. In March 1825, fifty years after the battle, Munroe gave a sworn testimony about his activities on April 19, 1775., Internet Archiv

Retrieved 2011-09-20

Roles in the Battle of Saratoga

William Munroe served at the Battle of Saratoga under the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Later life

William Munroe was a Captain in militia when he marched with a body of men towards Springfield during the Shays Rebellion in 1786. The Munroe family was visited by the first

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, in November 1789., Internet Archiv

Retrieved 2011-09-20 He was a selectman for nine years and represented his town for two years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munroe, William 1742 births 1827 deaths

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Massachusetts militiamen in the American Revolution People of colonial Massachusetts Colonial American merchants