Welcome to the wonderful world of re-enacting! You have decided to embark on this adventure by joining one of the finest re-enacting units in this region. In the following pages, you will learn what you need to do to begin your re-enacting "career."

By joining the 1st Tennessee, you have decided to recreate a Civil War infantryman serving in the western theater of the Confederacy. In this training manual, you will learn a little about the history of the original 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment. It is important for you to learn as much as you can about the original 1stTennessee so you can adequately honor the memory of those that fought in its ranks and those that fought against it! You will also be presented with the information about what you will need to get yourself properly equipped with the right kind of clothing, accouterments, weapons, and other "implements" of the common Confederate infantryman. You will be exposed to the "rules and regulations" of the Confederate military service. You will need to know these to be able to properly function during a re-enactment. Moreover, do not forget about drill—the method used to move to and on the battlefield. Finally, you will get numerous hints about what to expect at the various events and how to deal with situations that commonly come up.

Our goal is to make your time with the 1st Tennessee and your re-enacting experience more enjoyable. We will not be able to cover every detail that you will need to know in this short manual though. Therefore, at the end of each chapter is a "recommended reading" list where you can get further information on the topic(s) covered.

We welcome your comments and recommendations for improvements to this manual.

What exactly is reenacting?
As a member of the 1st Tennessee, you will participate in re-enactments and living history events. Just what is the difference? A re-enactment is a recreation of an actual event, often on or near the site where the event actually took place. Not all re-enactments recreate actual events though. Some are just "generic" recreations so the people of an area far removed from a real battlefield can experience what it was like. For most of us a re-enactment means taking part in a "battle." For some this is the only reason to participate in this hobby—to shoot the guns, smell the burnt powder, and charge the "enemy."

However, the regiment also participates in living history events. Usually there is no "battle" associated with these events. Rather, it is an opportunity for the public to see how Civil War soldiers lived. During these events, our camps are open to the public to walk through. Typically, various members of the regiment will give presentations on topics of interest to the public—Civil War tactics, unit history, the life of the common soldier, etc. In addition, there will be drill and shooting demonstrations.

So, are we "re-enactors," "living historians," or what? You have probably heard these different terms used at one time or another to describe just what it is that we all enjoy doing so much. "Re-enacting" is simply the dramatization of past events. What we attempt to do is to re-create a time in history by dressing and acting like those that actually lived during that period did. We do this to gain a better appreciation of what life was like then and, perhaps most importantly, to teach others what it was like! So, as a re-enactor you will be a teacher.

However, there is much more. Many of us attempt to take on the persona of a person from the past, and by doing so, make that person come alive to those seeing and hearing us. This is often referred to as a "first person impression." Because of this, we are also called living historians. Whether you do a "first person" impression or not, you will also be a living historian to some extent. You will also be a teacher in this role as well, for it is the living history events were you get to be "up close and personal" with the public. This is where you will be asked a "thousand" questions (and hear the same question asked a "thousand" times).

Historical Accuracy
As "re-enactors" and "living historians," we have an obligation to be as accurate as possible when recreating the history of the 1stTennessee Infantry Regiment for the public. As Lee Hadden says in his book, Reliving the Civil War;

...while you are in uniform in front of a group, you are considered an authority on the subject. The audience will believe what you say, even if you give them incorrect information, so it is very important to be sure that what you say is correct or to admit that you don’t know. You have an ethical responsibility to tell only the truth.

We also have an obligation to the original members of the 1stTennessee to be true to their story and the way of life that they knew. Therefore, it will be very important for you to do historical research. You will need to learn as much as you can about the period in history that you are recreating.

Now, this does not mean you will need to spend hours and hours in a library. You can accomplish your "research" by reading books and magazines on the Civil War, by watching television programs and movies that accurately cover this period in America’s history, and by asking questions of fellow re-enactors.

What is important from the very beginning is that you be as accurate as possible in your impression and in answering questions asked of you by the public. Nothing is more embarrassing than having some 12 year old come up and say to you that they didn’t realize they had digital wristwatches during the Civil War! If you are going to look like someone who lived over 130 years ago, make sure you do!! Do not forget to take off the modern watches, rings, or eyeglasses when you are participating in an event.

If you are asked a question and do not know the answer, say so—and then refer the individual to someone else in the regiment who you think does know the answer. It is important to show the public that you care about their questions so never leave one unanswered if you can help it. What ever you do, do not try to "bluff" your way through the question! If you do, you will loose credibility, both with the public and with your fellow re-enactors.

This does not mean that you are expected to know the answer to every question that you will be asked or that you will necessarily give the correct answer all the time. Many of the books on the history of the Civil War contain conflicting information and you will have to decide which is more credible. Sometimes you will be asked very obscure questions that you think the answers to are obvious, but not always. (One time I was asked if they had bulletproof vests during the Civil War. I answered "no," only to later find out that a crude form of armored vest made of cast iron was invented during the Civil War. While the vest proved to be impractical for use, the fact remains that bulletproof vests did exist during the time of the Civil War.)

Often people in the audience are more knowledgeable about a particular aspect of the Civil War than you are. This is especially true at living history events held at National Park Service facilities. The staff of the park will normally know far more about what happened at their particular park than you will. Many of them are college professors or graduate students working at the park during their summer away from school. Some of them have written books on the Civil War.

The message here is for you to not be afraid to interact with the public at an event, but know your limitations and stick to what you do know. You will quickly find that you will continually be learning more and more about the Civil War as you participate in re-enacting. While you are learning, you will also be teaching others what you have learned.