Josiah Munroe, I, Rev. War Casualty

Josiah (No. 43), a son of David and Deborah Munroe (No. 28) was born at Canterbury, Connecticut, September 11, 1728. A record of his baptism conflicts with that of his birth. Two records of his marriage conflict with each other, and both are probably erroneous. Certain it is, that he married at Canterbury, Sarah Hyde, near the beginning of the year 1752. He inherited in 1755, a portion of his father's estate, and may have lived upon it.

Nothing further is known of his life until the breaking out of the Revolutionary war. As the news of the battle of Lexington spread, the local militia everywhere fell in, in large numbers under their own officers, and, without waiting for orders or authority, marched for the scene of conflict. This action was afterwards legalized and lists made of the soldiers who went. The spontaneous character of the service is indicated by the language used; and Josiah Munroe was one of those who from Canterbury, "Marched for the relief of Boston iri the Lexington alarm." On this occasion he held the rank of sergeant and was in the service eight days, in April, 1775. July 11, 1775, he enlisted as a private in the 7th company of the 8th regiment, afterwards adopted into the continental army. In September his regiment was ordered to Boston, where it remained till the expiration of the term of service, and Josiah was discharged December 15, 1775.

The following year Captain Timothy Bachus organized in Canterbury a company of "Independent Veterans" of which Josiah was a member. This company did duty at New London in September, and in October at West Chester, N. Y. April 14, 1777, he enlisted "to serve during the war" in Captain Elisha Lee's company of the 4th Connecticut regiment of the Continental Line, commanded by Col. John Durkee. His regiment went into camp at Peekskill. In September it joined Washington's army in Pennsylvania and "marched in the Conneticut Brigade" under General Mc Dougal.

At Germantown, October 4, they fought on the left flank. Later his regiment was assigned to Varnum's Brigade and engaged in the desperate defense of Fort Mifflin, November 12 to 16. They wintered at Valley Forge where Josiah died in camp February 19, 1778. A constant tradition of his death in camp in the service of the Continental army has come down among the descendants of his son, David; and his death in February, 1778, is recorded in a little memorandum kept during her lifetime by his daughter, Sarah, and now in the possession of Mrs. Daniel T. Bennett, of Marilla, N. Y.