On June 30, author Darin Wipperman will discuss a unique individual he came across during his research in his presentation – “I Am Bullet Proof:” The Last Four Months of a Fifth Corps Soldier.
A tremendous resource for students of the Civil War, the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, houses an array of excellent manuscripts. One of the library’s many highly impressive collections includes more than 200 letters from Captain Joseph Collingwood, who joined the 18th Massachusetts Infantry in August 1861. Collingwood and soldiers in his Company H became original member of the Fifth Corps the following May. This presentation discusses the Bay State warrior in the last four months of his life, from the catastrophe at Second Bull Run to Collingwood’s sad destiny below the stone wall at Fredericksburg. His perspectives from ten September letters – before and after the battle of Antietam – offer especially interesting thoughts from a frazzled yet resolute American warrior.
Darin Wipperman’s first two books on the Civil War discussed the histories of the First and Ninth Corps. His most recent book, Thunderbolt to the Rebels: The United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War, was released in February 2025. Darin completed nearly 17 years of service in the federal government, then moved to northern New Hampshire, where he was a reporter and editor for weekly newspapers. Continuing his lifetime of studying the Civil War, Darin’s fourth book on the conflict is currently entitled, A Dangerous Man: Major General Joseph Hooker and the Civil War. Darin plans to complete his manuscript on “Fighting Joe” by the end of 2025.
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 our Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2025 schedule.
These indoors 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 free and open to the public. Each week we hold a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.