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.
April 3, 1862
Beautiful weather the Regt move their camp a little farther on the hill played before the Col quarters in the evening billie gone to Washington I Beat the Drum willis the Cymbals
Check back for the next entry on April 4.
Diary entries provided by the Monroe County History Center.
