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.
July 11, 1862
Had no Rehearsal to Day todays Paper put Co. 2 and in fact the whole camp in uproar yesterday Congress passed a bill discharging all Reg’t Bands retaining Brigade Bands the Regt Bands to be Discharged with in thirty Days after the Bill becomes a law I dont know whatill happen now The regt through most all the boys said theyd hire us and Pay us better than the govt time will solve it
Check back for the next entry on July 12
Diary entries provided by the Monroe County History Center.
