Louis Lambert was born on December 25, 1829 in Ballygar, Ireland, UK [now County Galway, Republic of Ireland]. He was married to Ellen J. O'Neill. He died on September 24, 1892 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
The tune and some lyrics of his famous Civil War music piece "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" was later made into a children's song "The Ants Go Marching".