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.
February 9, 1862
The Regt went on Picket nine miles from here to St[illegible] 4 Days We Band and a few Camp Guards and sick were all that are left This is the first day the sun as Shone any for nearly two weeks the Band rehearsed our new music
Check back for the next entry on February 10.
Diary entries provided by the Monroe County History Center.
