Brandon Bies likes living in the past. More than a dozen times each year, the UD junior puts on a uniform and slips into the character of a Civil War soldier-sometimes Confederate, sometimes Union.

A history and anthropology major, Bies says his interest in reenactments is an offshoot of his love of history. With an eye toward becoming an archaeologist, he says he believes the Civil War is one of the most fascinating periods of this country's history. And so, he's mapped a path for his future: It's the past.

Bies says he attended reenactments as a spectator for seven or eight years before he finally participated. The following weekend, he recalls shelling out "big bucks" for the equipment and vying for a more permanent spot with a local Confederate unit.

Bies is not alone in his enthusiasm. Reenactments have gained momentum over the last several years; they're no longer just for history buffs.

For some, Bies says, being a part of these units is less about history and more about weekend getaways with buddies. But, for many, participating is a deliberate exercise in historical accuracy and reverence for those who fought and died.

"The group I'm part of is very progressive in that we're trying to do things as authentically as possible-down to the buttonholes of our uniforms being hand-sewn," explains Bies. His unit mostly offers living histories and doesn't fire a weapon as they do in battle reenactments.

When he first joined the Sutlers, named for the unit that would follow the Army and supply equipment, Bies purchased supplies without thought for their authenticity. As his passion grew, he has purchased uniforms and equipment that are as close as possible to what soldiers would have had 130 years ago. For example, his eating utensils and the bayonet for his gun are originals.

"My philosophy has changed. If you're going to do it, you should do it as correctly as possible. I'm trying to duplicate the experience of the soldiers of the 1860s," he says.

"It's a more respectful way of doing things," says Bies, who doesn't carry a tent because the typical soldier simply didn't have one and marched with what he could carry on his back. To accurately reproduce the conditions on a recent reenactment in North Carolina, Bies slept in rain and 35-degree temperature with just a blanket and a poncho.

It's also about not misleading the public, he argues.

"I don't think it's right to let people think that at the Battle of Gettysburg, soldiers were sleeping in these big giant tents."

According to Bies, there are four different types of reenactments. The typical battle reenactment, like those seen at Brandywine Creek State Park in Delaware, finds the reenactors arriving Friday night, when many units socialize and "set up tent." After Saturday morning breakfast, where Bies munches on "hardtack" or hard bread, units perform company drills, practicing marching and field maneuvers.

When the public arrives, several reenactors perform living histories, speaking in the first person and performing various camp activities, including games. Afterward, there is usually an actual battle reenactment.

"At the Gettysburg reenactment, there were 20,000 reenactors," says Bies. "Sometimes, with larger reenactments, you get a sense of what really happened. You see huge lines of people, and then when the smoke clears from the cannons, you see a whole line of 20 guys lying on the ground."

Other reenactments are tactical and usually not for public view, Bies says. Some are just a portion of a battle or an unscripted battle pitting two units against each other and forcing them to out-maneuver the other.

The third type are preservation marches that raise funds to save battlefields. While the participants will not stage a battle, they will walk an original 10- to 15-mile route once taken by Confederate or Union soldiers.

Living histories make up the fourth type of reenactment, and these are the kind that Bies loves the most.

There are no battles, just soldiers trying to interpret history for the public. Bies says the typical soldier spent just five days out of a year in battle. The rest of the time was spent in camp.

In fact, he says, while 620,000 soldiers were killed during the Civil War, well over half of them died from disease. Bies says he feels facts like these are important to relate to the public. Having slept on the ground with blankets night after night during the war, many soldiers, he says, reported not being able to sleep in a bed for years once the war was over.

"I take on a whole different mindset when I'm reenacting," he says. "I spend so much time in preparation. I'm always trying to read firsthand accounts, diaries, that sort of thing."

Does all his research and preparation leave time for schoolwork? An honors student, Bies says yes. He puts his schoolwork first, getting it out of the way to leave time for his reenactment preparation.

In the spring semester, he incorporated both, doing an independent study project of transcribing the diary of a Delaware soldier.

Bies' girlfriend is supportive of his love for the Civil War and is planning to come to a reenactment battle.

And his friends?

"They think I'm pretty insane," Bies admits. "While they're out partying, I'm on the couch in my room sewing my uniform and watching The History Channel."

-Christi Milligan