Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-02-05
LEON w. HARRIS HOME.
Young Oconeean Who Saw Service
1vorseas-Will Go to Anderson,

but who volunteered for service from
Mccormick, where he was residing
at the time he enlisted, was in Wal
haNa for @ short while last Saturday,
and he proved to be 4 most interest
ing talker.
Mr.. Harris was in Europe for only
about five weeks and did not get
int the active fighting on the bat
tic front, though he and his COM
rades had already been given the
regulation full equipment for the
fighting lines and were ready to
march to the front when orders were
reversed owing to the signing Of the
armistice. Mr.. Harris's outfit was
in training at Napoleon's old bar
racks, which is known as Camp de
Goetquidan. The old stone barracks
i.sed by Napoleon's armies in train
ing were occupied by that portion Of
the American forces with which Mr..
Harris was identified.
Mr.. Harris event over" on the u
transport Sobral. which vessel is
capable Of transporting from 5000
to 10000 men, and on her trip st
the time Mr.. Harris's outfit went
overseas she was pretty we'll laden
with human freight-about 5000
souls. Mr.. Harris supposed, includ-
Ing the large crew Of sailors and
those manning the guns of the trans
H0rf Tho Sohrol
transports that made the trip over
1T that time, and these vessels we're
conveyed out for two days and
kalf by one first class battleship, one
faue crusier, six submarine chasers.
three biplanes and one observation
balloon. The battleship and cruiser
continued the voyage as convoy
all the way over, and three and a
half days out from Brest, their
landing port, the transports and
convoy ships were met by French
Feet OF nineteen sub chasers, numer-
Gus biplanes and warships almost
without number. This trip took
II furteen days going over, while the
leturn trip was made in ten days.
Or. Harris was (and is still) a
Member of the law firm Of Tillman
Mays 4 Harris. Of Mccormick.
Knowing this, we inquired as to
Capt. Henry c. Tillman, Of Green-
wood, and learned that Capt. Till
man, as we knew him, is now rank
- as major In the GtSi Coast Az
titnry. When he nnrerod The SET
N8e he Was captain Of Head1uarters
Hesnpeny IN tho some organization
H'S6r Tiiiman Is expected 10 rsuirtl
to the United States in April.
When the transport on which Mr..
Hnl,is went over reached France
they landed at Brest, from which
port they sailrd ON the return trip
Mr.. Harris and his comrades landed
at Newport News, Va, on December
~ and his organiza ton was muster
ed out of the military service at
Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga, on Jan
uary 9th, just past. Mr.. Harris came
ut once to O:onee, and has been
visiting his mo her, Mrs. NJ. e. Har-
ris. of Fair Play, since. Mr.. Harris
whl return to Mccormick to wind
up business matters there, and after
February 1917 will be located at
Anderson, where his firm will open
an office for the practice Of law.
Er. Harris was among the seven or
eight thousand men aboard the
transport America (the confiscated
German ship "Amerika,") which was
suak In the harbor at Hoboken.
This ship had aboard the army pas
senger list that was taken overseas
ny the Sobral. The men were got
ton off the America as quickly as
possible, and at the time she sank
there were but about 500 men on
heard. Four soldiers and a number
or sailors 'ost their lives, the re-
nainder Of the 500 being picked up
and rescued without serious injury
Ey boats Of various classes in the
harbor at the time Of the accident.
There is one popularity Of the
daily life Of the French peasants
to which Mr.. Harris could never re-
cencile himself. In that section in
which his camp was located there
we're no other buildings save one
story farm houses. and practically
all Of these were one room wide,
with room after room extending
back. The peOple, the horses. COWS.