_{160 Years Ago, Charles F. Snell Put Pencil to Paper to Make Sense of the Civil War}

Charles F. Snell was just 18 when he volunteered to fight in the American Civil War. Born in Dedham, Massachusetts, Charles enlisted in Company D of the Third Maine Infantry Regiment in 1861 while visiting his brother in Bath, Maine. He later rose to the rank of corporal.

He fought in nearly every major battle in the Eastern Theater, from Bull Run to Gettysburg to the Wilderness. He was hospitalized with fever, grazed by an artillery fire, and ultimately captured as a prisoner of war at the Battle of the Wilderness. Charles spent months imprisoned at the Florence Stockade in South Carolina and the notorious Andersonville Prison in Georgia.

_{Diaries That Refused to Stay Silent}

Throughout his four years of service, Charles kept a diary— in fact, two of them —even writing with the nub of a pencil while in prison. These spare, immediate, and deeply human words were preserved by his family and eventually reproduced by his great-grandson, George F. Snell Jr.

Today, the diaries are in the care of George F. Snell III, Charles‘s great-great grandson, who has drawn inspiration from them to create the Company D podcast.

_{A Legacy Past Down Through Generations}

Inspired by Charles’s diaries and years of family research, George F. Snell III began piecing together the forgotten stories of the men of Company D. These weren’t the generals or famous figures, but ordinary soldiers who lived, suffered, and persevered. They also had fascinating lives.

The Company D podcast, launching on September 17, shares these true life stories through microhistory — revealing the personal struggles, betrayals, rivalries, and resilience of ordinary Civil War soldiers. One regiment. One company. Countless stories.

_{What Awaits in Company D}

– A captain who vanished in battle — his fate unsolved for 160 years.

– Two Maine brothers divided by war — one Union, one Confederate. Only one would survive.

– A despised lieutenant who nevertheless led his men into Gettysburg’s bloodiest fight.

_{Hear the Voices of Company D}

Company D releases new 30-to-40-minute episodes every other Wednesday. Each narrative dives into the lived experience of the men of Company D—disappearances, courage under fire, betrayals, resilience, and the long shadow of war.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify to hear these forgotten voices of the American Civil War — stories of sacrifice, survival, and humanity, told with gunpowder, grit, and heart.