ORD SEAMAN: EDWARD L. MUNROE (aka Monroe), of the USS SEMINOLE-USN. 
Civil War Veteran of Monterey County.

Edward L. Munroe, also was known under Monroe, was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts in estimated 1842. During the Civil War he enlisted into the Union Navy on July 11, 1864 out of Boston Harbor for a projected three year service. He began his military training on the Recon Vessel USS Ohio and then was assigned to the USS SEMINOLE. He was discharged on September 2, 1865 in Ohio. He arrived in Monterey County in estimated late 1870’s or early 1880’s. He was a laborer in the field of farming. Whether he owned land or had family recorded in the Monterey County area is unknown at this time. In the last few years of his life, he was consigned to the Hospital in Salinas under the charge of another Civil War Veteran, Dr. Samuel Mellon Archer. Edward Munroe was a carriage driver for the good doctor until Mr. Munroe’s death in 1903. Edward L. Munroe died on May 14, 1903 and is buried in the GAR Plot of the IOOF Cemetery in Salinas ,Ca. Edward L. Munroe was a member of the James Blair Steedman GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Post #56. On July 3rd, 2002 the unmarked grave of Edward L. Munroe was unveiled at the IOOF section of Garden of Memories Memorial Park Cemetery in Salinas, CA., Camp Abraham Lincoln #10 of the “Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War”, Department of California & Pacific , officiated the ceremony. Assisting was the “Boy Scouts of America” Troop 232 of Salinas.


Below are the Newspaper-transcriptions from the Obituary, Funeral notice, and headstone installation.

MUNROE, EDWARD L (1842-1903) IOOF Cemetery Salinas , Ca. - GAR plot

Salinas Weekly Journal May 16? 1903
DIED: MUNRO- Near Salinas City, at the County hospital, May 14, 1903, Edward 
L. Munro, a native of Massachusetts, aged 61 years.

(Salinas Weekly Journal, Newspaper May 15, 1903)
Funeral Tomorrow
Yesterday evening Edward Monrone (sic) one of the old characters about and who has been an inmate of the county hospital for a number of years died at that sanitarium after a brief illness. He was a native of Massachusetts and was aged 61 years. The deceased was the driver of the late S.M. Archer’s conveyance 
and until the death of that physician was always on duty.

Salinas Weekly Journal May 16, 1903
Will Be Given a Veteran’s Burial
Edward L Munro, who died Thursday at the county hospital, will be given a veteran’s burial. D.J King, who has charge of the burial of veterans, will under the state law see that the remains are laid away this afternoon at 2 o’clock, in the G.A.R. plot in the I.O.O.F. cemetery at this place.


Salinas Californian newspaper – July 4, 2002
Honoring a Veteran 

Daniel R. Earl of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, unveils the headstone of Edward L. Munroe on Wednesday at the Garden of Memories in Salinas. Monroe was a Civil War Veteran who died in 1903. The ceremony was attended by 10 members of the Boy Scout Troop 252. The Scouts carried the colors and presented the flowers at the ceremony.

Note: This ceremony was conducted & officiated by Camp Abraham Lincoln #10 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. 

Compiled and Submitted: by Tim P. Reese, PCC

Camp Abe Lincoln #10 based out of Santa Cruz, Ca

Dept. of Calif. and Pacific

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Sep 2009

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