He came to America in 1849. He moved to Taylor's Falls, Minnesota in 1852. He moved to Pine County, Minnesota in 1857.
"Emil Munch, a native of Prussia, came to America in 1849, when eighteen years of age, and three years later located at Taylor's Falls where he worked at the carpenter's trade until 1857, when he removed to Pine County and commenced dealing in pine lands and lumbering. He enlisted in the latter part of 1861 in the First Minnesota Battery and was chosen Captain. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, took part in the Battle of Corinth and was appointed Division Chief of Artillery, which position he was forced to resign in October, 1862, on account of impaired health. He re-entered the service to fight the Sioux Indians and afterwards entered the Veteran Reserve Corps. At the close of the war he settled in St. Paul and in 1868 was elected State Tresaurer holding that aoffice until 1872. He removed to Lakeland and in 1875 became a resident of Afton. (Minnesota in Three Centuries, 1908)