Isham David Harris was thirty-three when he enlisted. In some Confederate records he is listed as J. D. Harris and there are references of a J. D. Harris on the the muster rolls of company B,D, and C. In Rea Clarke's family the folk history was that Isham went off to war and never returned. Isham's granddaughter Arrie Harris wrote in a letter to her nieces, Verna Parker Varnell and Nora "Willie Mae" Forbes, that he was "killed in the war of the North and South. The last letter came after the "big battle" (Gettysburg). Ted McClellan's research found that he went forward with Wilcox's brigade in Pickett's Charge on the third day of the Gettysburg Campaign. He was listed as "absent-missing in action 3 July 1863". He survived the Gettysburg campaign and spent 3 months at the largest Union POW camp, Point Lookout, Maryland. Union records indicated that Isham was hospitalized and died 07 Nov 1863. He went with Pickett's Charge on the 3 July 1863 at Gettysburg with 12,000 men across the open fields already covered in Confederate soldiers from initial charge on Cemetery Ridge toward Federal lines. According to some historians, only one Confederate soldier in three would make it to safety, the Battle of Gettysburg was over. Some 27,000 casualties occurred, men killed in action, wounded, captured and missing in action during the three days of the Gettysburg Campaign. Many Confederate dead were returned to Southern States for re-internment after the War. Isham's burial location is unknown.
Evidently, his widow, Julia Megginson Harris had some difficulty securing his military pension. The 1899 Widow's Pension application simply stated "suppose to have been killed 1864". However, Julia Elizabeth Harris applied for Civil War Widow's Pension on Isham David Harris in years 1887, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1907. All the applications show Isham David Harris as a private in Company D. of the 14th Alabama Volunteers except her 1894 application which indicated Company A. Julia's Pension application was repeatedly denied based on Board of Examiners, RJ Moore and WD Gaines MD (aExaminer) statement, "Upon examination of the application of Mrs Julia Harris, we find the statements set forth or partly true, but, we further find that she is now living with her son who is in good circumstances and we think amply able to give her a comfortabe support. Therefore we do not recommend that her name be placed on the Pension rolls. This June 9th 1899".
The death of Isham David Harris left Julia Megginson, a young widow with five children. Isham and Julia's children included twins, Julia and Nancy A. Harris born 10 Mar 1852. Nancy married James F. Johnson. Then, Martha was born about 1855; Isham/Isom was born 04 Jun 1858, he married Annie Turnham 23 Nov 1879. And, Joel C. Harris born 30 Jan 1856. Julia lived between her brother and sister-in-law, Hector and "Polly" (Harris) Megginson. and her father-in-law Thomas M. Harris.1116,1899