This work contains the 1866 journal of 14-year-old James Newton Matthews of Mason, Illinois. It details the everyday happenings of his life in that period of time shortly following the Civil War. Matthews would later become a regionally recognized poet and a highly respected area doctor. He counted the famed Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley as his dear friend and fellow rhyme writer. Annotations are included by JD Eident, to give context and clarity to many of the journal entries.