- The story concerns Amanda's third great-grandfather, a man named Peter Friesell.

We found Peter in the 1860 census for Pennsylvania, living with his wife Lydia and their infant daughter, not knowing that his life was about to change radically.

Just over seven months after the census was taken on April 12th, 1861, shots were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and that sparked the American Civil War, as you know.

- I thought you were gonna say "shots fired at Peter Friesell."

(host laughs) Like, not again.

- [Host] Well, Peter was a young father struggling to get ahead.

Let's see what happened to him during the war.

Would you please turn the page?

- And Lydia is a name that kept getting passed down.

- [Host] Oh yeah?

Now you know where it's from.

- Wow.

- This is a record from the National Archives in Washington, DC.

- Wow, he fought.

- Yeah.

Could you please read the transcribed section?

- "Volunteer Enlistment.

I, Peter Friesell, age 28 years old, have volunteered this 27th day of August 1864 to serve as a soldier in the Army of the United States of America for the period of one year.

I solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whomsoever.

Signed, Peter Friesell."

- And you never heard anything at all about this?

- No.

(host chuckles) - Peter volunteered to fight for the Union to end slavery.

How does that make you feel to know that?

- Good.

Very nice.

- The right side.

(laughs) - Yeah, that's right.

- [Host] Peter enlisted at the height of the war and was assigned to a newly formed artillery regimen.

But while he likely trained to fire a cannon, he ended up with a job that was more closely aligned with Amanda's interests.

- "Peter Friesell, musician, company F, 6 Regiment Pennsylvania, heavy artillery."

- [Host] Peter served as a musician.

- What?

(host laughs) What did he play?

Like, that's so interesting.

- He played the fife.

You know, all those war movies, (humming).

- [Amanda] Yes.

- That was your ancestor.

- What?

- Yeah.

- That's a really beautiful picture.

- [Host] The fife is a very traditional military instrument, prized for its high pitch, which can carry over the sound of battle.

By the time of the Civil War, however, as combat was becoming louder and louder, the fife had largely been relegated to marches.

So Peter almost certainly carried a weapon along with his instrument, and he may well have had to use it in order to survive.

- Oh my god.

- These are photos of what's known as the siege of Petersburg, Petersburg, Virginia.

It was some of the most brutal fighting of the entire Civil War.

- Yeah.

- [Host] Essentially, they reduced Petersburg to ruins, and the battle devolved into trench warfare.

It lasted 10 months.

- Oh my god.

- The front would eventually stretch almost 40 miles and claim roughly 70,000 casualties.

Peter's regiment was assigned to protect supply lines, but that doesn't mean that they were out of danger.

Please turn the page.

- Oof.

- [Host] Could you please read the transcribed section?

- "A party of guerrillas, reported to belong to Kincheloe's gang, also committed similar outrages yesterday between Accotink and Burke's Station.

The active measures now being taken will prevent any similar outrages on the road."

- [Host] Your third great grandfather's regiment was attacked by Confederate guerrillas, and at the time, his regiment was stationed along supply lines near Washington, DC, which was a prime target for Confederate raiders.

- That's some heavy stuff.

- What does that mean to you, learning that you had an ancestor who actually risked his life for the Union?

- Yeah, and made it.

- And made it.

- I'm relieved, I guess.

That's not how happened in my last one.

I mean, he would've died in, you know, with honor, but- - It's better that he didn't die.

- Yeah.