Historical records of this man's unit may provide some ideas as to the location of Camp Smith. You may also wish to consult Nashville city newspapers of this period for specifics.

By definition, a deserter is a soldier whose exact location is unknown. If deserters all went to the same camp, everyone would soon know where they were, and that would be the end of them! The record is probably saying that he was supposed to be at Camp Smith, but had left without permission.