GETTING STARTED AS AN 8th TENNESSEE CIVILIAN REENACTOR
Civil War reenacting is not just for those who wish to portray the soldiers who fought in the battles. One of the greatest things about the hobby, and one that provides a wonderful feeling of realism, is the participation of the men and women who portray civilians. They are the wives of the soldiers, the nurses that cared for the wounded, and the merchants and politicians and private physicians who were all a big part of the history of the Civil War. All of these civilian reenactors help make the hobby what it is and it would be much less enjoyable without them.
The Women of the 8th Tennessee are early in the process of researching different roles women played in the war (teachers, spies, musicians, refugees, and families of the soldiers, nurses, camp cooks, temperance workers, and ladies from local towns). As our unit grows so will our diversity.
We welcome families with children. Several of our civilians have children who accompany them to many of the events. Well-behaved and accurately clothed children are an asset to the impression of families caught up in the war.
The 8th Tennessee men and women are equal voting members of the organization. The military component portrays Tennessee infantry, and has documentation of the 8th Tennessee to provide and actual soldiers whom served in the 8th Tennessee for all of our military to portray. Both military and civilian reenactors have attended living history events.
Personal preference and degree of authenticity is up to each reenactor as long as reasonable standards are used to represent the civil war era. Remember every individual has a different reason why they reenact, it is important that we as a group are tolerant of others.
