American Revolutionary War
Munro had openly declared his loyalty to the Crown even before the outset of the American Revolutionary War. He was the first Loyalist to offer his services to Colonel Allan Maclean of Torloisk and his newly formed 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants). Munro accompanied Maclean (in disguise) for two hundred miles through the hostile Province of New York "at great risk to his own life", and was instrumental in secretly enlisting many of his tenants and neighbours (many of whom were disbanded soldiers of the British and Highland Regiments) into the Royal Highland Emigrants before he was arrested and thrown into gaol at Albany.
In 1776, Munro was sentenced to hang, but the following year managed to escape across the border to Canada. At Dundas County, Munro joined Sir John Johnson (whose father, Sir William, was an old friend of Munro's and the godfather of his second son), who appointed him Captain of the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Regiment of New York. His wife and their seven children also made their escape to Canada, first settling at Montreal and then L'Assomption, Quebec, while Munro was deployed in active service over the border. By 1780, Munro was still a Captain, but promoted to Major in the militia, leading a raid on Ballston,
On the 16th October, 1780, a party of 400 Regulars and Indians from Canada, under Major Munro, a Tory from Schenectady, made their appearance in the Ballston settlement. They designed to attack Schenectady, but returned without effecting this object. They pillaged several houses and took 24 prisoners
In 1781, Munro was stationed in Montreal, in charge of the housing and care of the many Loyalists refugees who ended up there, before being placed in command of the garrison at Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec. In 1783, at Sir Frederick Haldimand's request, he undertook a tour of exploration from Quebec City to Halifax via the Témiscouata route on behalf of a group of Loyalists who had obtained land in Nova Scotia. Munro reported on the route and on the suitability of lands in Nova Scotia and present-day New Brunswick.
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