There was a Battle of Dover, TN on Feb. 3, 1863. There was also a skirmish there in August 1862. Afterwards, the yankees burned all but four buildings in town. That was common, to punish and terrorize civilians after a battle. Union commanders might make an excuse such as they suspected the civilians were aiding the Confederates. Sounds as good as any and quite plausible since the Confederates were fighting for defense of their country.