A Narrative History Podcast About the American Civil War
Every Soldier Has a Story
These are just a few of the remarkable men you’ll meet on Company D.
History Gets Personal
The American Civil War was fought by ordinary men.
Carpenters.
Farmers.
Fishermen.
Lawyers.
Teachers.
They had mothers and fathers. Wives, sons, and daughters. They were brothers, uncles, and friends. Some were heroes. Others were cowards. Some were loyal and honest. Others were drunks and criminals.
But they all marched into history with hopes, fears, ambitions, and families waiting for them at home. Some returned forever changed. Others never came home at all.
Company D Brings Their Stories Back to Life.
Rather than following generals or analyzing famous battles, the Company D podcast explores the complex and compelling lives of the citizen-soldiers of Company D, Third Maine Infantry Regiment, before, during, and after the war. We tell the stories of the men, families, and communities forever changed by a war whose echoes are still felt today.
Because behind every casualty report was a person.
Behind every pension file was a family.
Behind every forgotten grave is a life worth remembering.
Among the stories you’ll discover:
A captain who disappeared on the battlefield and wasn’t found… until now.
Two brothers who met the Civil War on opposite sides of the battlefield.
A Union veteran suspected of murdering his own wife.
A gay soldier searching for acceptance in nineteenth-century America.
Why Company D?
Everything began with a diary. Host George F. Snell III inherited the Civil War diary of his great-great-grandfather, Charles F. Snell, a soldier in Company D of the Third Maine Infantry Regiment.
That diary became the starting point for a much larger journey.
As the research expanded, it became clear that every name on the company roster represented an extraordinary human story that had largely been forgotten.
Those forgotten stories became Company D.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Just as we got there the artillery got out of powder… the soldiers got in a panic and retreated in confusion… we had no battery with us, nothing only our muskets and we fought against the Rebels batteries and… it began to cut up our brigade badly.”
Charles F. Snell, July 21, 1861 Diary Entry (The Battle of Bull Run)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
History Shouldn’t be Forgotten
The American Civil War ended more than 160 years ago. Its soldiers are gone. Their children are gone. Even their grandchildren are gone.
But while many of their stories have been forgotten, they remain if you know where to look. Company D is dedicated to preserving these precious stories—not simply as military history, but as human history. History is about people.
Their Stories Await
Each episode of Company D combines original research, narrative storytelling, music, and sound design to bring forgotten lives back into the light. Whether you’re a lifelong Civil War enthusiast or simply love remarkable true stories, their stories are ready for you. Because every soldier has a story worth remembering.
What listeners are saying:
