Headquarters 89th. Regiment,
Tennessee Militia.
November 22nd. 1861
Captain T. R. Mason:
In obedience to Gov. Harris’ General Order Number 12 you will hold the Militia under your command in readiness for marching orders by the 25th. instant. You will from your command detail one half of the whole number and be prepared at the shortest notice to march with said details to the General Rendezvous at Nashville.
You will order said details so made by you in obedience hereto to supply themselves with rations sufficient to subsist them until their arrival at rendezvous at Nashville, after which they will be subsisted by the Confederate States.
You will order said details to supply themselves with clothing, blankets and such other articles as may be necessary and as far as their means will allow. By proper orders I will direct you as to time and place where your command will report themselves to receive public transportation. You will at once have a report of your Company in accordance with the Militia Laws forwarded to me.
Your will at once collect all descriptions of arms, (except pistols and knives owned by, or in the possession of any and everybody of all ages and sexes, without any exemption, living within the bounds of your Company) and you will return all of said arms at once to me and I will appoint three disinterested freeholders to assess the value of said arms and will and will my receipt for thesame to the owner, to whom the State will make compensation. Your failure to attend to these duties will subject you to heavy penalties, as provided under the late amendment to the Militia Laws. Such is also the case in regard to any citizen who shall refuse, upon demand by you, or those you may appoint, to deliver arms as above herein specified, which are now required for the common defense, or who shall conceal the same.
Where a militia man is actually engaged in the service under this call he will keep his gun and march with it. All other arms, as above named, you will at once deliver to me without delay.
The details herein called for must be made by you as soon as possible, and in a very few days I will send you an order to march with them from the point I will designate to the general rendezvous at Nashville. All necessary expenses incurred in the transportation and subsistence of the Militia detailed for active service will be borne by the Confederate States. You will encourage good order and discipline among your troops and enjoin upon them the duty of respecting the rights of citizens.
If in answer to this call, a number of Volunteers for service in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States is tendered to that extent your Company will be received from duty under the requisition. This order is made in pursuance of Gov. Harris’ General Order Number 12, and with the late amendments to the Militia Law. You can detail such persons as you deem suitable to aid you in carrying out the same, in making details for actual service you can observe such course as you think best so that you furnish one half of your command either as Militia Men or Volunteers, or some of each, as they may prefer, but in one of these ways you will at once make up the number, all of whom will be able-bodied men, or as nearly so as may be practical. You will excuse no man on any trivial grounds.
By late Militia Laws telegraph operators, necessary employees on Railroads and all persons employed in Quartermaster’s Commissary and other Departments of the Confederate States, all person employed in the manufacture of arms, powder and munitions of war for the State of Tennessee, or the Confederate States, are exempted from services in the Militia of this
State.
The Colonel commanding feels confident that you and you command will at once and heartily, do you whole duty in obeying this call, and thereby drive back the invaders who see to overwhelm us.
Bring all the arms to me at Springfield next Tuesday morning (Draughon’s Office).
W. A. Holman, Colonel Commandant