7. Fear and Trauma from Combat
Witnessing the horrors of battle left deep psychological scars on countless Civil War soldiers. Many experienced relentless anxiety, nightmares, and what we now understand as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At the time, such suffering was poorly understood and rarely treated, with stigma often forcing men to suffer in silence. As highlighted by PBS, the invisible wounds of war were just as real as the physical ones.
