The Distant Drums Podcast

About The Distant Drums Podcast

We bring the American Civil War to life with firsthand accounts, forgotten stories, and explore this conflict through the eyes of the very soldiers who fought in this terrible conflict. Whether you're a seasoned history buff or just curious about the war that tore America apart, you're in the right place. So come march with us, from Fort Sumter to Appomattox. Because history doesn't just echo... it marches on."

Publisher

Project Past LLC

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Oct 2025

Latest episode

23 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

48 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Oct 2026

   One Year of The Distant Drums Podcast! Favorite Moments, Guests & What's Next!

   The Distant Drums Podcast is celebrating its first anniversary! Join us as we look back on a year of Civil War history, revisit our favorite moments, discuss some of our favorite guests, and share what's coming next for the podcast. Thank you to everyone who has listened, watched, and supported us along the way. Here's to another year of history you can march to!

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   What Was Antietam Really Like? Soldiers Tell Their Story | Scott Hartwig

   What was it actually like to fight at Antietam?In this episode of The Distant Drums Podcast, we sit down with historian and author Scott Hartwig to explore the Battle of Antietam through the experiences of the men who fought there.Rather than simply walking through the battle from a bird's-eye view, we focus on the individual soldier. Using firsthand accounts, letters, and recollections from men who experienced the fighting, we explore what they saw, heard, feared, and endured on September 17, 1862.Our focus is the Miller's Cornfield sector—one of the most violent and chaotic portions of the Battle of Antietam.Scott provides additional context for these firsthand accounts, explaining what was happening around these soldiers and helping us understand their experiences within the larger battle.Their words give us a different perspective on Antietam: not just movements on a map or numbers on a casualty list, but the experience of the men who actually stood in the Cornfield.

3. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Slaughter Along a Stone Wall | The Light Division at Antietam with Ben Cwayna

   The Battle of Antietam is often remembered for the Cornfield, the Sunken Road, and Burnside's Bridge—but some of the most brutal fighting of September 17, 1862, took place on the southern portion of the battlefield. In this episode of The Distant Drums Podcast, we sit down with historian and author Benjamin L. Cwayna for a deep dive into his presentation, “Slaughter Along a Stone Wall.” We explore the Maryland Campaign from the Confederate perspective, beginning with the aftermath of Second Manassas and the march north into Maryland. Along the way, we discuss the growing animosity between A.P. Hill and Stonewall Jackson, the tensions within the Army of Northern Virginia, and the circumstances that brought Hill's Light Division to Antietam at a critical moment in the battle. From there, we turn our attention to the savage fighting on the southern end of the battlefield, where A.P. Hill's Light Division collided with inexperienced Union troops, including the 16th Connecticut Infantry and the 4th Rhode Island Infantry. For the men of these regiments, Antietam would become a baptism of fire unlike anything they had experienced before. What followed was confused, close-range and extraordinarily violent combat as Confederate and Union soldiers fought for control of the ground around the stone walls and fields south of the Antietam Creek. Ben brings years of research, living-history experience, and his work on the 12th South Carolina Infantry to the discussion. His book, The Invincible Twelfth, examines the history of the 12th South Carolina and the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, including their experiences during the Maryland Campaign. In this episode, we discuss: • The lead-up to the Maryland Campaign • The Confederate march into Maryland • A.P. Hill and Stonewall Jackson's growing tensions • Hill's Light Division at Antietam • Gregg's South Carolina Brigade • The 16th Connecticut Infantry and their first major battle • The 4th Rhode Island at Antietam • The fighting on the southern portion of the battlefield • The stone walls and terrain that shaped the battle • The brutal close-range combat at Antietam • The experiences of the soldiers caught in the fighting • Why this often-overlooked portion of Antietam deserves more attention Antietam was one of the bloodiest single days in American history. For the men who fought along these stone walls, it was not an abstract battle on a map—it was a terrifying struggle for survival. History You Can March To. 🎙️ The Distant Drums Podcast Produced by Project Past #Antietam #CivilWar #AmericanCivilWar #DistantDrums #AHPHill #StonewallJackson #16thConnecticut #4thRhodeIsland #MarylandCampaign

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Contact The Distant Drums Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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