Rev. H. A. Monroe, 54th Drummer Boy & Godson to Frederick Douglass

Untold in the history books is the story of Rev. Henry Augustus Monroe, who at 13 years of age served as a drummer boy for the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry with the blessing of his Godfather Frederick Douglass.

Following the Civil War, the Massachusetts-born and educated Monroe was sent to Maryland's Eastern Shore to serve as an educator and supervisor for the Freedmen's Bureau Division of Schools. It was here Monroe met his first wife, the daughter of a well-respected local oystering family.

After receiving a patronage position in Baltimore City during the Grant Administration, Monroe and his family returned to Maryland where Monroe started the only "Black Press" newspaper on the Eastern Shore.

Joining the Methodist ministry, Monroe served as pastor of Waugh Chapel in Cambridge, Maryland from 1881 until 1883 where he became a well-respected editor, historian and community leader.

In 1886 Monroe respectfully declined the opportunity to serve as the first principal of the Princess Anne Academy (University of Maryland - Eastern Shore), founded by the Delaware Conference.

While serving as pastor for a church in New York City Monroe and a delegation of ministers traveled to Washington City where they met with Frederick Douglass at the train station who escorted the group to meet with the President of the United States regarding conditions in the American South, including Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Holding prominent leadership positions within the church and communities of Maryland's Eastern Shore, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia, Monroe was active until his passing in 1912.

John Muller, author of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia (2012) and Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.: The Adventures of a Capital Correspondent (2013) has been a local reporter in Old Anacostia and adjacent communities for the past decade for a variety of print and online publications

Muller has presented widely throughout the DC-Baltimore metropolitan area at venues including the Library of Congress, Newseum, Politics and Prose, American Library in Paris and local universities. He is currently working on a book about the lost history of Frederick Douglass on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

In September 2018 Muller presented "Lost History: Frederick Douglass in Cambridge, Maryland" at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center in downtown Cambridge and "Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Caroline County" in February 2019 at the Denton Branch of the Caroline County Public Library. On October 20, 2019 Muller will present "Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Queen Anne's County" at the Centreville Branch of the Queen Anne's County Public Library and on May 9, 2020 will present "Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Cecil County" at the Elkton Branch of the Cecil County Public Library.

He has presented “The Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Western Maryland” at various venues such as the Washington County Central Library in Hagerstown, Ebenezer AME Church (Hagerstown) and Frostburg State University as well as presenting the “Lost History: Frederick (Bailey) Douglass in Baltimore” at the Enoch Pratt Central Library in Baltimore City. Muller has been featured on C-SPAN’s BookTV and C-SPAN’s American History TV, as well as in the pages of the Star Democrat and the airwaves of WDVM (Hagerstown) NBC4 (Washington), WPFW, WAMU, WYPR and Delmarva Pubic Radio.