Monday, May 14, 1917

The chaplain of the Second New York Infantry regiment urges Saratogians to contribute to help him provide for soldiers’ needs that aren’t met by the state or federal government.

The Second regiment, including Saratoga County’s Company L, was called into federal service shortly before the U.S. declaration of war against Germany last month. The regiment, which did border-patrol duty in Texas last year, has been assigned police protective duty, guarding strategic bridges, canals and railroads throughout northeastern New York State.

The regimental chaplain, Captain Royal K. Tucker, is currently headquartered in Gloversville. Tucker comes to Saratoga Springs today for “his customary tour of the cities and posts where Second men are located.” He’ll be back later in the week to pick up any items contributed to Company L.

Today’s Saratogian publishes a letter Tucker has written to Dr. Albert Warren Ferris, the co-chairman of the city’s Home Defense Committee.

“As chaplain of the regiment I have been traveling up and down the line visiting the boys at their guard posts and doing what I could for their welfare and comfort,” Tucker writes, “For this work the people of Gloversville bought me an auto, and indeed without it I would have been almost helpless.

“I need not tell you that as chaplain I am the only officer of the regiment free to investigate the personal needs of individual men and meet them as I see fit – provided that I can secure the necessary means, for the government makes no provision therefor. It is only right that all of the localities from which the boys come should help in this work.

Now that Tucker has “gone ahead in faith, meeting needs as I saw them,” on the assumption that “people were enough interested in the soldiers to reimburse me,” he wants Saratoga county to contribute between $75 and $100 to a Chaplain’s Fund. The fund’s purpose is “both to repay what I have already personally expended for [soldiers’] comfort and to enable me to continue.”