“No Further Record” POWs of the 7th Michigan Infantry – Jack Dempsey
Mauled in the West Woods during the II Corps’ ill-conceived assault by echelon, the 7th Michigan Infantry lost 221 out of 402 combatants. Some casualties are well-known, such as John A. Clark, whose grave Bill Frassinito identified, and Allen H. Zacharias, whose poignant note tears at the heart. What was the fate of those in that number who were captured or missing? Join author, editor, and historian Jack Dempsey as he delves into their story to reveal answers and to examine why the inquiry bears investigation during his talk on August 10.
Jack Dempsey has been a student of the Civil War since the Centennial. His name appears on 8 Civil War titles as author or editor, including the award-winning Michigan and the Civil War (2011), the most recognized single volume on that subject. Co-written with Brian James Egen, Michigan at Antietam (2015) was the pioneer study of the Wolverine State’s role in the Maryland Campaign of 1862. The two historians co-founded the Michigan Civil War Association in 2013 to advance understanding of Michigan’s role in the nation’s greatest crisis. Jack first visited Antietam in 1973 with two fellow congressional interns. He returned there with his new bride in 1975. In 2012, as chairperson of the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, he was a part of the State’s commemoration of “Michigan Day at Antietam” at the invitation of the National Park Service. The MCWA is working with the NPS to erect a Michigan monument at the epicenter of the Antietam battlefield. Like the Institute, the MCWA publishes an annual monograph as part of a series of studies on the Civil War. The fifth will appear, as per custom, close to September 17th of this year. In addition to being an accomplished writer, he is a longtime contributor to the American Battlefield Trust. All proceeds from Jack’s Civil War writings, including his biography of Alpheus Starkey Williams, support the MCWA.
Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during the Antietam Institute’s Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2026 schedule.
These indoor programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures are free and open to the public. Each week, the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.
