A man I'm researching, James R. Dickson, was a 30 year-old living in Nashville when war broke out. Although there are several James Dicksons serving on both sides from TN, I cannot find one who seems to match. Did TN have a law like AR did making it mandatory for military-age men to choose sides? Or would service on the Nashville Fire Dept possibly exempt him from military service? It seems unlikely that a young man like this would have been able to evade service for four long years. Any feedback or opinion is appreciated!

Thanks, Michael