Captain Livingston began his re-enacting career in 2003 with the 87th Pennsylvania after first reading about the unit in a newspaper ad the year before, getting his first taste of “action” during the 140th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. At the time of joining the ranks, Capt. Livingston didn’t have any ties to the 87th that he was aware of – he just discovered the unit and decided to enlist to join the hobby. But years later, he discovered his father’s side of the family comes from York County and he had an ancestor who served in the regiment, Co. F!

Scott served with the unit for about15 years before taking a break from the hobby for a short while. Shortly upon his return, however, he found his experience and passion for history and service to others were in great need, and he was called upon to begin taking on more responsibility. Scott’s leadership, consistency, and kinship within the group eventually led to being named Lieutenant in March 2024 when the unit lost its long-serving and beloved Captain Jim Van Laeys. He was unanimously voted Captain of the company shortly after, in February 2026.

In a historical context, as Captain of a company in a regiment, Livingston would have been one of ten other captains in the regiment, and would have been in charge of/responsible for ~100 men. This would mean administratively ensuring that 100 men had correct and ample supplies, were accounted for roll call, etc. In a battlefield, scenario, the captain would have received orders from the regiment’s commanding officer (typically Colonel), and issues those commands to his 2 Lieutenants to be issued to the company. Scott fulfills this role in the group’s battlefield re-enactments when they are conducting maneuvers.

In a practical sense in today’s company, Capt. Scott wears many hats. He plays the chief role in coordinating everything for the regiment – communicating with the company’s members; coordinating plans with “the Brigade” (the Federal Volunteer Brigade, “FVB”) planning, strategizing, coordinating events with event hosts – as well as managing the company’s by-laws; managing the company’s bank account, and other administrative tasks that help the company function. He’s also typically the one primarily responsible for hauling the regiment’s equipment around from event to event.

Reflecting back on his time in the hobby, Capt. Livingston remembers when he first started getting into the hobby as a young man, and the realization he had. “I feel like some of these soldiers that we represent were so young… they didn’t have a chance to have a life or a story.” And that is why today, as living historians, he finds it a privilege and an honor that “we get to be and should be living representations of these men. We get a chance to keep their memory alive, their deeds, their hopes, their dreams.”