To Major Polk From RH Milroy Date Unknown

              Major 
 
 
                            
        Upon my return From Nashville (stricken: last evening) 
I found two directory  orders from 
you relative to home guards.  One 
was an endorsement on an anonymous letter from 
Franklin Co. to Maj Gen Rousseau without signature of any kind but purporting 
to come from citizens of that county complaining of 
my order requiring all citizens to enroll themselves 
into home guard companies for self defense. 
The endorsed order directs me to have only those 
enrolled that are within the military age.  The 
other order (stricken: directs me to disband the home 
guard companies that have been formed 
under my order directing me to disband all) me to disband all the 
home guard companies that have been formed in 
the different counties named in my order, a copy 
of which is enclosed   & also a copy of instructions to officers of such companies.  Feeling very sure that 
these orders were given under a total 
misapprehension of facts and that the very best  
interests of our cause & of the peace & safety of the people 
in the counties named in the order, who are now nearly all 
organized into home guard companies, requires that 
the organization of these companies should be 
maintained until the militia can be enrolled, organized 
and officered. (stricken: Without cas) and there is no emergency in