Why Being a Civil War Soldier Was a Living Hell

Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorian

The year is 1861, and you are 19 years old. You were promised glory, brotherhood, and a cause worth dying for. What you got was frostbite, dysentery, and a rifle that barely fires.

In tonight’s immersive descent into forgotten history, we follow the brutal reality of life as a Confederate foot soldier during the American Civil War. From muddy enlistment to a slow, painful death in a makeshift field hospital, this is not a story of battlefield valor — but of hunger, infection, punishment, and silence.

There are no heroes here. Just young men made old by cold winters, bad rations, and orders shouted over cannon fire.

🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools

Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:

• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy

• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f

• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE

• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn

• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu

• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw

These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.

#DrowsyHistorian #CivilWar #HistoricalSleepStory #CivilWarSoldier #SleepNarration #HistoryPodcast #ForgottenHistory #SecondPersonNarrative #BleakHistory