The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-27
PoRrLAND's RECRUITING OFFICE.
sixty-one Applicants Have Thus Far
Passed the Examination.

Portland's recruiting detail worked at
the armory Saturday through the heat of
the day, examining volunteers and max
ing out the necessary papers. -Four OF
those who presented themselves passed the
examin alton, making total OF sixty -one
men thus far recruited.
OF these fifty three have already reached
the camp at Chickamauga, one more left
Saturday night, and the remaining seven
will start on the Boston boat, to-
night.
Frank Brown, who passed the examina-
ton Saturday, was entrusted with the
care of General Mattocks' horse, and was
started off for the South Saturday night.
James Kennedy, James E. Leighton, Fred
G. Mclean and Thomas Lyle comprise
the squad that will take passage on to-
nights boat.
Forty -four more are needed to recruit
the Portland battalion. Lieut.. f. A.
Chaplin, who is in charge of the recruit
ing office, feels confident that the full
number can be enlisted within the next
ten days. He has been sending out to the
country post offices copies of the call for
volunteers, and the coming week he will
| look for an influx of recruits from the
back towns, who will be specially fitted
| for service.
Up to Saturday noon fifty-five had been
rejected, two-thirds of that number being
either too short or too light to meet the
army regulation. A few were rejected on
account of faulty sight, and many more
because of their lack of suitable set of
molars.
The reports from Chickamauga that the
soldiers were being poorly fed were dis
couraging to Portland's recruiting detail.
There came a sudden falling off Of appli-
cations for admission to thecompanie sand
| those who did take the examination had
many " questions to ask about army
rations. Several reassuring letters have
| ing that the scarcity of rations was but a
temporary condition.
: A letter received from Chickamauga,
Saturday says that the first squad Of
thirty Portland recruits presented a
picturesque appearance on its arrival
there. Quite number of the men, who
left Portland without any pin money in
their pockets, visited the pawn shops OF
their arrival in Boston and exchanged
their clothing for oyeralls and jumper, in
which primitive garb they were marched
into camp. The exchange of clothing
brought them in few dimes, with which
to increase their limited menu during theii
trip to the camp.
Several Of the squad worked shrewd
game in New York by means of which
they got square meal. To the lapel of
every coat was attached a brown tag,
bearing the name of the wearsr and the
address, "Chickamauga Park"
These tags had been fastened to the
clothing of the recruits when they left the
Portland armory, as precautionary
measure; to insure their keeping together
and not missing train and boat connec-
| tions. When the boat reached Boston they
made break for the nearest restaurant,
ate a hearty breakfast and then presented
| their tags to be punched, assuring the
proprietor of tie establishment that
"Uncle Sam" would settle the bill The
scheme worked to charm, but it will be
some time before the restauranter allows
another squad of recruits to get off so
easily