Surgeon Charles Tripler: A re-examination of an overlooked Civil War medical pioneer

Join us for a special Sunday Speaker Event! Drawing on extensive original research, Jack Dempsey traces Charles S. Tripler’s distinguished career from the Seminole and Mexican-American Wars to his service as a Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac. Dempsey demonstrates how Tripler’s innovations in military medicine and battlefield care saved countless lives, and also how politics undermined and obscured his achievements. The talk is based on the book, His Sword A Scalpel, a publication by the Michigan Civil War Association, and copies will be available for signing.
Jack Dempsey is an award-winning author, editor, historian, and retired attorney based in Plymouth, Michigan. He has written, co-written, or edited numerous books on American history, Michigan heritage, and literary culture. A longtime civic leader, he co-founded the Michigan Civil War Association and has served in prominent historical organizations. His work combines careful research, narrative clarity, and a passion for recovering overlooked people, places, and stories for readers today and tomorrow.