The Battle of South Mountain (MD)
John David Hoptak was born on the 116th anniversary of the Battle of South Mountain, on September 14, 1978, in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. A lifelong student of the American Civil War, Hoptak holds a bachelor's degree in history from Kutztown University and a master's degree in history from Lehigh University. Hoptak serves as an interpretative park ranger at the Antietam National Battlefield and teaches courses in American history, Civil War history and Mexican-American War history as an adjunct instructor at the American Military University.