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 31, 1861

Tis the last Day of the year, and what a year has it Been it has witnessed many Joyful and many sad events but has brought us no Peace to this war which it introduced: an unlucky bad portentous year I’d call it—

this morning Jim Steel & willis Reid went to the city and came back with a Bass weighing about 50 Pounds wich them carryd from town today we was mustered out for Pay

we sat up late chatting till late in the Best of Spirits till the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty one was no more and the new year began its course Wishing each other a happy New year

we rolled up in our Blankets—laid down on Terre firma and journed to Dream land

Thinking of Home

Check back for the next entry on January 1.