Kim Coons

They won't be real Civil War soldiers. But living history re-enactors will try to be as realistic as possible this weekend when they demonstrate what it was like to live, sleep and fight during that conflict.

"They will talk about equipment and explain how you would load and fire a cannon, how you would load and fire a rifle," said Kim Coons, an interpretive park ranger at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. "A good soldier could fire three times in a minute."

Summertime is prime time for employees of the military park to promote and teach history, officials say.

"This summer's program opportunities are being offered in greater numbers and cover a wider variety of subjects than the park has been able to offer in recent years, which is great for visitors," park spokesman Sam Weddle said in an e-mail.

On Saturday and Sunday, living historians will portray the 37th Georgia Infantry Regiment.

That group was part of Gen. William B. Bate's Brigade, Army of Tennessee, the principal Confederate army fighting for control of Chattanooga during the late summer and fall of 1863.

The regiment suffered 50 percent casualties at Chickamauga in the two-day fight and went on to fight at Missionary Ridge on Nov. 25, 1863. The next year, the regiment participated in the Atlanta campaign and the battles of Franklin and Nashville in Tennessee.

Mrs. Coons said a trip to Point Park over the July 4 weekend is a good opportunity for families to learn about history and have a fun, outdoor experience.

"(Visitors can) learn about the past and learn how this country was shaped," she said. "You always learn from your past and hopefully improve. The people of this area are lucky to be in a place with such rich history."