The Southern Soldier

"The Southern Soldier", also known as "The Southern Soldier Boy", is a 19th century song about a Confederate soldier's perspective of the American Civil War and their experience in battle. It is a folk song as it has no definitive author and was passed down orally. The song's lyrics provided a true-to-life perception of the Civil War by describing the life of a Confederate soldier and their toils in fighting and parting from home. The song was widely in circulation among soldiers of the Confederacy as a rallying or marching song for its message and united cause of fighting against the Union. Despite being a pro-Confederate song, it remained popular throughout and after the Civil War for its down-to-Earth lyrics and display of humanity in the soldiers, and the song survived in minstrel shows or singing.

In the present however, the song is mostly forgotten and lacks much documentation due to primarily surviving by oral singing. Nevertheless, it has had a cultural impact on the American South and the Confederate States of America, by asserting the civilian mindset during the war and being an empathetic song to the soldiers, among the mainly militaristic songs of the time period. The song is preserved by bands or Southern heritage groups such as The Sons of Confederate Veterans , or the 2nd South Carolina String Band, allowing the song to survive through camp meets.

While the title, "The Southern Soldier Boy", is used interchangeably, it does also refer to a separate song that is often confused with "The Southern Soldier" due to pertaining to many of the same relatable and civilian outlooks on life during the Civil War.