Headquarters of Army of Tennessee

Camp at Brighton, Tennessee 17th September 2007

            No. 3

1. A Provost Guard under the command of the Army Provost, Captain Charles Mathis, will be established at the Mill Springs encampment.
2. Each Battalion will appoint a Battalion Provost to function as described in the attached directives. Passes will be issued by Battalion Provosts to the men in their Battalion. Provost Pass forms may be procured at the Army  Provost post.
3. Provost passes will be required by all military and civilians entering or leaving the camp of the Army including those on Army business and under the command of a commissioned or non commissioned officer.
4. The provost will take charge of the camp at dusk, Friday  28th of September, 2007.
5. A countersign and parole system will be initiated at dusk  Saturday 29th of September 2007.
6. Specific direction and requirements are contained in the attached documents.
7. Special Order #2, this series is amended as follows:

7. A parole and countersign system will be in effect beginning at dusk Saturday, 29 September 2007. No soldier or civilian will be allowed into the camp without a proper pass, and, after dusk, the proper parole and the countersign. Passes are to be issued by company commanders. Pass forms are available from the Army Provost Marshal at Army Head Quarters. The parole and countersign will be issued daily. Event organizers will issue an ID disc to all participants. This disc must be shown to gain access to event grounds and camps.

Last year at Perryville, I overlooked the need for battalion level provosts in the artillery and cavalry and this resulted in a delay in getting the required passes to those departments. I apologize for any inconvenience that this might have caused. As a result I want to be sure that those departments are adequately represented, thus the purpose for this communiqué.

At Perryville, we implemented a systematic pass system that was far superior to the “adlib” system we had put together at Corinth the year before. Despite a few minor problems in getting the system off the ground, overall it worked out very well. We had a minimum number of arrests and increased the general security of the AoT camp at while making a more authentic experience for the Army as a whole.

This Pass system will be also used this year at Mill Springs. Please refer to the provost document for an explanation of how we intend to implement this system. There will be a Provost Marshals call at 5:30pm on Friday afternoon at the guard tent in the AoT headquarters area, (immediately following the Division Officers Call.) I will be handing out blank passes to each battalion, battery or troop at that time. An officer from your Battalion, Battery or Troop will need to be present if you cannot make this meeting. Otherwise your units will not be issued passes and we all will be very busy come Saturday morning processing your men as they are being picked up. These passes will need to be dated and signed by you and issued to each member of your battalion in order for them to pass freely through the lines. Please come to this meeting with a list of all of the units falling in under your organization and the location of your battalion, troop or battery in the general AoT camp layout. This will greatly assist us throughout the weekend should we pick up one of your men.      

Pursuant to Special Order #2 the pass system will go into effect at dawn on Saturday. Beginning at that time no soldier or civilian will be allowed into the camp without a proper pass. We will do our best to accommodate late arrivals to the event. For the first hour or two, late arrivals will need to check in with the provost at the Division Guard Tent where they may be briefly instructed and then allowed to proceed to their respective camps. After 8:00 am, the pass system will be in full force and any late arrivals will need to be picked up at the Division Guard Tent by an Officer from their respective units. 

Special Order #2 has also provided for the use of countersigns at dawn on Saturday as well. This order has been amended and we will not be requiring the use of countersigns until dusk on Saturday. Please be advised that this amendment is subject to change, but you will be notified in a timely manner to any changes that may go into effect.

Army of Tennessee 

Provost Operational Plan

For Mill Springs

The AoT Provost Company

• The AoT Provost Guard for Mill Springs will be filled by the 37th Tennessee under the command of Captain Dave Thomas. They will be dedicated to full time provost duties and augmented, (as required), by a set number of “conscripted volunteers” from each battalion within the Army. The provost guard will be under the command of the AoT Provost Marshal who will report directly to the AoT Chief of Staff or AAG.

• The AoT provost will wear no particular badge or insignia but will be identified by troops in light marching order with bayonets fixed.

Areas of Responsibility and Hours Of Operation

• The AoT Provost Company will be responsible for the exterior security of the division as well as the interior security of the Division HQ area, (this will not include Grand Guard and Picket duties for individual battalions in the field.) This will be accomplished through the use of provost checkpoints positioned at strategic locations around the division camps and at the entry point to the Division HQ area.

• The provost will begin preliminary operations on Thursday afternoon and begin in earnest at daybreak on Friday morning. This will include the guarding of firewood and hay stores, setting up Division HQ, the provost guard tent and any other duties as deemed necessary by the AoT Chief of Staff.
• The provost will begin “live” operations at dusk on Friday afternoon as set forth by the AoT Chief of Staff or AAG.
• Daily operations in general will be from dawn, (approx. 6:45 am), until midnight at which time all provost operations will cease for the day unless ordered otherwise.
• All provost operations will be suspended ½ hour previous to the commencement of the main battles on Saturday and Sunday and will be reinstated ½ hour after the battles have ended. During the main battle each day the provost company will be attached to an infantry battalion and the AoT Provost Marshal shall assist the Division Safety Officers.

• There will be roving patrols in operation periodically throughout the weekend. With the lone exception of Sutlers Row, all areas outside of the division camps may be subject to these patrols, including the authentic civilian areas.
• Due to an agreement we have with the Federal Provost, Sutlers Row has been declared a neutral area and will not be subject to provost operations from either side.

Division Guard Mount

• A Division Guard Mount parade will be held at 2:00pm on Friday afternoon and also at first light, (approx. 7:15 am) on Saturday and Sunday.
• This Guard Mount ceremony will be performed as outlined in Dal Bello’s, Instructions for Guards & Pickets, (but without marching in review by the Officer of the Day), and will be overseen by the Army Provost Marshal and AIG.
• All personnel detailed for provost operations that day will be required to attend guard mount.
• Any battalion conscripts required to attend guard mount shall be escorted to Guard Mount by their respective battalion provost.

• Beginning at dawn on Saturday, Passes shall be required of all personnel entering or leaving the AoT static camp areas during daylight hours. Accordingly, passes shall be required for all officers and enlisted personnel including General Officers and their escorts as well as detachments proceeding while on duty.   

·      General Officers and their escorts will only need one pass for the whole group. The same rule will apply for detachments proceeding while on duty, one pass for the whole detail. Passes for details will need to be made out specifically for that detail, stating the nature of its business. Large bodies of troops, (battalion sized and larger), will not be challenged except during those hours when a countersign is required.

• Passes will be distributed to the battalion level provosts at the Division Provost Marshals Call just prior to the start of the event, who will then distribute them to all subordinate units. These passes shall be dated for the day of use and signed by the provost marshal of the battalion, battery or troop to which the person belongs.
• Passes should be retained by the user on his person anytime he is outside of AoT camp areas and shall be presented to the challenging authority upon request. Any passports issued for civilians who may be authorized to enter the military camps shall be issued by the Provost Marshal and dated and signed by the Army Commander or his designated agent.
• All AoT personnel caught outside of the AoT camp areas without the proper pass will be subject to arrest.

• Countersigns shall be required of all personnel, regardless of rank, trying to enter or leave the AoT static camp or bivouac areas during hours of darkness or any such time as designated by the Commanding General or Chief of Staff.  These times will be posted to the Brigade Commanders with sufficient notice to filter down the chain of command before enforcement begins.
• All units of the AoT must use the same countersign.  Only one countersign will be used per day for the entire army.  This will eliminate the simultaneous use of multiple countersigns and the inherent confusion that comes with that practice.

·      Countersigns shall be determined in advance by the AoT Provost Marshal and changed on a daily basis. The countersign for each day shall be published to the Army no later than 8:00 am the day of use. The countersign from the previous day will remain in effect until that time.

·      If a countersign is compromised and needs to be changed, a request for such shall be made to the AoT Provost Marshal who will immediately publish the change to all Brigade Commanders and provosts.  Then, a one-hour “amnesty” period will commence.  This will give the divisions time to disseminate the new countersign to their commands. Only the AoT Provost Marshal shall have the authority to change a countersign.

·      All personnel trying to pass through picket lines during challenging hours without the proper countersign will be arrested. 

Battalion Level Provost Marshals

• Each Infantry Battalion, Artillery Battery and Calvary Troop will be required to appoint a provost marshal, (to rank no higher than First Lieutenant), to serve for the duration of the event. Each of these provosts will be responsible for the following duties:

1)           Issue passes to members of their organization allowing soldiers to pass through the lines of the army. The AoT Provost Marshal will issue these passes to the battalion level provosts at the Division Provost Marshals Call on Friday afternoon.

2)           Shall select men from their units to be detailed to Army provost duty as requested by the AoT Provost Marshal. These men shall report to the AoT Provost under arms and with any equipment that may be required during their terms of duty. The battalion level Provost Marshal shall escort them to Guard Mount no later than fifteen minutes before the Guard Mount Parade shall commence.

3)           Shall provide immediate and necessary provost duty for their indigenous units. These duties are similar to those described for the AoT Provost herein and shall be performed until the arrival of the AoT Provost Marshal or his designee. They are inclusive of, but not limited to: securing and protecting any accident or crime scene; sending for medical help and assistance; summoning event security as needed; being first responder to any disturbance, including the unauthorized firing of weapon(s) or violation of Army or event rules; escorting non-authorized civilians from secured areas. In all cases where the battalion level provosts are first responders, the AoT Provost Marshal shall be sent for immediately and, upon his arrival, the battalion level provost will relinquish charge of the scene but shall remain to assist the AoT Provost as requested.

4)           All battalion level provosts shall attend Division Provost Marshals Call at Division HQ at the following times: 5:30pm on Friday, and 7:30 am on Saturday and Sunday, (immediately following Guard Mount.)

5)           The individual Battalion, Battery or Troop commanders or adjutants shall notify the Army Provost Marshal as to the names and contact information of the battalion level provosts at least thirty days prior to the event in order that the Army Provost may communicate necessary instructions and schedules to them.

• It is anticipated that the provost company will be able to field enough rifles to fulfill the security needs of the division without additional manpower from the various battalions. However, there is the possibility that the use of conscripts will be required. Therefore each battalion may be asked to provide two to four privates daily to serve in the AoT Provost for one full day. These conscripts will augment the full time provost company.
• If such is the case the levy will be applied evenly across the battalions and will be kept to the bare minimum required to fulfill the duties of the provost as set forth by the General commanding. The selection of these men shall be made by the battalion provost under the direction of the battalion commander.
• These conscripts will report for duty at Guard Mount each morning and shall be required to report under arms, with bayonets, and shall bring any equipment necessary for their functioning throughout their time on provost duty (mess gear, additional clothing, etc).

• After Guard Mount these conscripts will be placed on a duty roster and then released back to their respective units with the expectation to return to duty 15 minutes prior to the time they are to go on duty. Any soldier failing to return to duty when required will be subject to arrest.
• The conscripts will be under the sole command of the provost guard during their entire tour of provost duty and can only be relieved back to their units by the AoT Provost Marshal.

Arrests

• Arrests of all personnel who are caught without passes, who give the wrong countersign or who commit other offenses, shall be performed in a professional manner consistent with military regulations. All mounted personnel placed under arrest will be requested and required to dismount upon being questioned and/or arrested. Those personnel placed under arrest will be escorted under arms by the provost guard to the AoT Guard Tent and turned over to the Officer of the Guard.  The horses of mounted prisoners shall be placed on the Army Headquarters equine picket line and the prisoner(s) may be allowed to tend to their animals as needed, but will be under guard as they do so.
• The Officer of the Guard will then interrogate the prisoner to determine the company and battalion to which the prisoner belongs as well as to determine the validity of the offense of which he is charged. A runner will then be dispatched to the prisoner’s unit to notify said unit of the arrest and the need for the commanding officer or his designated representative to retrieve said person(s) from the AoT Guard Tent.  Prisoners will be detained until paroled and will only be released to a Commissioned Officer.

• All Federals captured during the day or night will be escorted under arms to AoT Headquarters and turned over to the AoT Provost Guard as soon as possible.  This would include any civilians suspected of being Federal spies.
• Once in custody, Federal prisoners will be the full responsibility of the AoT Provost Marshal who will oversee the detention and interrogation of the prisoner to determine his true name, rank, and unit as well as for any pertinent strategic information they he may possess.
• The AoT provost guard will see to the prisoners needs for the duration their detention. This includes any medical attention required, adequate food and water, a blanket and access to a cooking fire if detained over night. The Army Surgeon shall be summoned within thirty minutes of their arrival to examine all prisoners. The AoT Provost Marshal will be responsible for making suitable arrangements with his Federal counterpart for the proper parole and exchange of all Federal prisoners at the direction of the General Commanding.

Vehicles in Camp

• By order of the General Commanding, no modern vehicles will be allowed in camp after 7:30 pm on Friday evening. Vehicles in violation will be towed
• In the unforeseen event, (such as a medical emergency), that a vehicle must be brought into camp, the provost will be immediately notified so that such action as is necessary may be taken.
• It is anticipated that civilian volunteers and staff may attempt to drive ATVs or other motorized support vehicles into the army camp. Regardless of any official T shirts, passes, etc. issued by the event, these vehicles and personnel will not be allowed to pass unless sanctioned by the Army Chief of Staff, and admitted by the AoT Provost Marshal.

Major Accident or Incident Investigation

• The AoT Provost Marshal shall assist the Safety Officers to investigate any mishap involving a weapon of any type resulting in an injury to a spectator or reenactor within the boundaries of the reenactment area. The AoT provost guard shall assist the investigation by securing the scene of the mishap and helping to secure weapons and freeze troops in place during major incidents as well as the detention of those involved. The AoT Provost Marshal shall immediately send for event security and the General Commanding and then shall also act as a liaison with any Federal, State, or local authorities that may be present during the investigation of any such mishap or any other reported criminal act.

·      Static Camp security during battles is an important issue. Ideally it should consist of one or two roving patrols of an NCO and two privates. Their purpose will be to prevent theft; fire or vandalism in the camps while the majority of the AoT is out of camp during battles and to keep all unauthorized persons from entering the camps.

·      This patrol will consist of volunteers from the various battalions and will be organized by the AoT Provost Marshal with the assistance of the battalion level provosts.

• All battalion level provosts will make sure that all fires in their camps that are not attended shall be extinguished and shall provide the AoT Provost Marshal with a list, in writing, of all personnel who are authorized to remain in camp during the unit’s absence.

Mill Springs Provost Operations Schedule

Thursday, September 27

Friday, September 28, 2007

Saturday, September 29

Sunday, September 30, 2007