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.
March 16, 1862
Divil the Slope”—last night rained nearly all night some of the boys Did not lie down at all partially Dried our Clothes after Breakfast some of the 5 th Wisconsin Band over to see us some of our Boys went back with them then the Order came to get ready to move again and away we went for fort Craig the Roads very Bad reached fort Craig in time to get a good supper before Dark Found things tolerably straight—to bed early [illegible] Goldberry gone to Alexandria to meet us but ave missed us
Check back for the next entry on March 17.
Diary entries provided by the Monroe County History Center.
