Welcome to Gem of the Hills Historian, where I am delighted to share my experiences as a living historian as well as my observations about this educational hobby.

I am proud to serve as Major of the Hardee Guard Battalion and as the former Captain of the 31st Alabama Infantry / 79th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry - Company E. and have integrated information about my company of living historians into this site in order to give visitors an insight into how we operate and to help others better understand our ongoing mission to teach about a crucial event in the United States' history as well as the soldiers who lived through it.

Spring 2026 Schedule:

Spring Schedule:

Check out the New Calendar!!!

The Battle of Olustee - 13th-15th February, 2026 - Sanderson, FL
Hardee Guard Battalion Drill, Gorden/Lee Mansion - Saturday, 14th March, 2026 - Chickamauga, GA
Skirmish at Fort Harker - 11th - 12th April, 2026 - Stevenson, AL
Confederate Memorial Park - 24th-25th April, 2026 - Marbury, AL
Streight's Raid - 1st-3rd May, 2026 - Cedar Bluff, AL
Battle of Resaca - 16th-17th May, 2026 - Resaca, GA
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park - Infantry Program - 30th - 31st May, 2026, Kennesaw, GA

A Promotion and Change

Insignia of the Rank of Major - Federal Army 2026 is off to a quite interesting beginning as I transition to a new rank and new role within my living history journey. The change is not quite one that I expected to unfold in the manner in which it has and there have been challenges on my part in adjusting to the circumstances now before me. Sometimes change can be a difficult undertaking, especially for someone like me who is quite accustomed to developing habits and perfec

Closing 2025

Marbury, Alabama - Friday, 12th December - Saturday, 13th December, 2025 Christmas at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury, Alabama 2025 has been an incredibly busy year for both the company and for myself. As the Fall season has come to a conclusion, there is much to be grateful for with regard to both the company and within my own life. As anyone who possibly has followed this site may have noticed, posting this year has been quite sparse as compared to the year prior, an