When friends and coworkers discover I frequently visit Civil War battlefields, they often ask me if I reenact. I do not. Never had the desire.
Of course, this leads to the next question—then what the hell are you (and your friends) doing out there? Their tone usually indicates they could not conceive what else people would do at battlefields. They also talk as if there are stages of some sort of addiction to Civil War history. Sure, I love to trek the battlefields now, but keep it up and I’ll grow out a beard and buy a Confederate uniform.
This is where I have found a Venn diagram works wonders to explain the types of Civil War buffs.
Reenactors are obviously the easiest identify. These are the guys (and gals!) that are dressed up in period clothing, sweating to death in the 97-degree weather. They are also the ones that will show up to places like Gettysburg to demonstrate artillery firing and skirmishing formations. When I take people to Gettysburg, the presence of these guys always enhances the experience.
Scholars are the people doing archival research, plain and simple. They dig through diaries, letters, reports, governmental records, and just about everything else to retell events, comprise theories, or explain why there are six Napoleon cannons with sights on them.
Then there are battlefield junkies, and I think we all fit this to an extent. These people just love to explore the fields, trying to find every nook and cranny of interest on any given field.
With each of these categories, there are levels. Obviously a reenactor sleeping in a tent for days is a little more hardcore than the guy that shows up for a day.
This model also allows for hybrids. Craig Swain has trekked all over battlefields cataloging the cannons, delving into the archives to explain their origins, history, and placement. Apparently, he used to reenact, but not so much anymore. Gregory J. Urwin, the president of the Society for Military History, remarkably fits all three, as he has donned the uniform, given tours, and produced several Civil War books.
As for me, I spend more time on the battlefield than anything else, typically delving into archives to support my enjoyment of the battlefield.