Officers from the Second Regiment are Recruiting Volunteers in Tipton County.
A CHANCE YET TO JOIN THE SOLDIERS | The recruiting officers of the second regiment of Tennessee volunteers landed in Covington Friday of last week. The officers are Lieut. T. D. Lawler, Co. E; Sergt. A. J. Cook, Co. E; Sergt. Y. L. Neal, Co. K; Sergt. Stone, Co. K; Corp. Ullathorne, Co. E. The lieutenant and those under him established head-quarters at the chancery court room in the courthouse. They have been busily engaged since their arrival, and had recruited fifteen men up to Tuesday night in Tipton county.
Lieut. Lawler and Corp. Ullathorne went to Memphis Tuesday morning, where they are meeting with encouraging success. His territory is the Tenth congressional district, and he and his men are making a thorough canvass. The recruits are examined by the officers and will be sent direct to the regiment near Washington. we understand that the recruits will be given the privilege of selecting the company which they join. The newly enlisted men are taken in charge as soon as enlisted, boarded and their pay of $15.50(?) a month begins with the date of enlistment. The soldiers are furnished food and clothing in addition to pay – in fact Uncle Sam pays all necessary expenses for the maintenance of the troops.
The second regiment now lacks 310 men of its full complement (?) of 106 men and officers to the company, making 1325 to the regiment. There are recruiting officers in each of the congressional districts in West Tennessee. Lieut. Lowe Shelton, of this place is at Union City, in the Ninth district. So far we understand that Lieut. Lawler had up to Wednesday about half of the number required of him – 125.
No volunteers under the second call will be enlisted until the second regiment is filled. The gentlemen in charge of the recruiting office would be glad to have those desiring to join the army and go to the front to call and see them. They will state the facts about army matters as they have experienced them and deny emphatically the wild stories about starvation rations, etc. They state that they were poorly provided for by the State, but that the rations given by Uncle Sam are plain but wholesome and abundant.
[The Covington Leader, Covington, Tenn., June 17, 1898]
A Chance Yet to Join the Soldiers; The Covington Leader; Covington, Tenn; 17 Jun 1898; Pg 3