157 years ago, a Hoosier from Monroe County wrote about fighting for the Union in the Civil War in a diary he kept almost daily. Peter Thomas Matthews was 20 years old when he enlisted in the army and served as a drummer in the 19th Indiana Regimental Band.
Follow along as we publish his diary entries in real-time on the day they were written.
Read the first entry here. Learn more about Matthews and read all former and future entries here.
Editor's note: We have left Matthews' words as he recorded them, which means spelling and punctuation may not conform to modern standards.
December 23, 1861
The wind still blowing while lying down we momentarily expected the wind to carry off our tent the Pegs were frose in the ground however and the Ropes held there own thereby saveing us a shelter The ground frose up tight for the first time
Check back for the next entry on December 15.
Diary entries provided by the Monroe County History Center.
