Isaac C. "Doc" Harp

NOTES: "Isaac died in the service of the Confederates States, just one month after enlisting, of typhoid pneumonia. He is buried in an unknown, but marked grave in the Confederate Cemetery which is tended by the Daughters of the Confederacy. D. C. Harp, Private, Company G, 17th Louisiana Infantry. Enlisted September 30th, 1861, Camp Moore (Tangipahoa Parish, LA). Roll for September to November 1st. Died October 1861. In his letter written from Camp Moore, LA, August 25, 1861 (he died in camp of typhoid pneumonia 30 days later). "Dear Mother, Brothers and Sisters, I take my pen in hand to inform you all that myself and Young & Wisdom are all well at this time. We arrived here yesterday morning at 4 o'clock and was mustered in at 3 o'clock in the evening. We were mustered in the State service for twelve months to be consigned over to the Confederate service at any time. About 1800 soldiers here. The Twelfth Regiment will leave on Tuesday next. We will go into the Thirteenth Regiment. They talk about sending us back to Monroe to form a Regiment there. We will know by tomorrow. We are the 32 Comopany in the Thirteenth Regiment. We have plenty to eat. The boys are all satisfied. We have ninety men in our Company. We lost two men John Olinger. He was left in Monroe. Eligia Hughes left and we don't know where. I will write in a few days more where to direct your letters. So no more at present. D. C. Harp." "In a letter written to A. Warren Montgomery and his sister America Missouri (Harp) Montgomery from Camp Moore, St. Helena Parish, October 10, 1861. (*He died two days later?) Dear Brother and sister, I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well except a bowel trouble complaint. It don't bother me much. Brother Young is well except a cold. He had just started off to the creek to wash. I hope these few lines may find you all well and doing well. There isn't much sickness here except the measles. There is not much of them now. Our Company is all over them except 3 or 4 men. We have lost 5 of our Company since we got here. There was but one of them that was healthy. They were puny before they come here. A young man's trouble is nothing here if he can have his health. We have but little to do except to cook and wash. The diet suits me first rate. We have fresh beef every day. Go to bed at 9 o'clock and get up at half past four in the morning. There are about thiry five hundred soldiers here and they pass every day on the rail road. So you may guess we are not much lonesome. You can hear somebody singing, whistling or hollering at times of the day or night. AThere haven't been but one or two quarrels in our company yet. I haven't had a hard thought with anybody since I left home. My officers treat me well, I like them all first rate. Soldiers seem like brothers. The Thirteen Regiment left here the other day. The Seventeenth Battalion left the day before yesterday. TAhey think whey will be sent down about New Orleans. There was a car passed just now going down toward New Orleans with sixteen big cannons on it. There is some talk of their leaving New Orleans. There isn't much sickness here from what I can hear, as there is there. As far as my liking to have died, I had no such notion as that. I didn't intend to come here to die with sickness. I was just right bad off when I had the measles for four or five days. But I haven't been sick any since. I have been going about ever since Wid left here. You may know I haven't been much sick when I haven't took but one dose of medicine since I came here and that was a dose of oil I had the measles. I would give a full description of this camp, but Wid sent you more than I can write. I received your letter this morning which gave me satisfaction to hear from you, sorry to hear there was so much sickness there. People need their health for time(s) are so hard that they can't hardly live no how. They must have their health and use all industry to get through the great crisis that is before them now. James Humphrey is a little puny at this time, butg he is going about. G. G. Burks says tell all his inquiring friends he is getting fat -- to tell all the truth all the boys are all beginning to do well. You may tell them all that I am just like I always was -- Perfectly satisfied. Tell the girls not to marry if they can help it till the Morehouse Southrons get back and we will take a hand. Write as soon as you get this letter. Tell them all to write for I am getting tired of writing and getting no answer. Show this letter to all my inquiring friends. So I must close for want of room. Nothing more for the present. Only remain your affectionate brother until death. D. C. Harp to Warren Montgomery." "A letter written from Camp Moore, LA, October 16, 1861, from Thomas Young Harp to his mother." "Dear Mother, I drop you a few lines with regret. I have to say to you in pain Brother is of no more. He died with morning of typhoid pneumonia. He was taken the 12th of this month. He had a chill when taken and he suffered with a pain in the breast and side. He got very near clear of pain, but seemed to be restless -- he had all the attention that the Camp could afford. A very good Doctor attended him. He was willing to die in his last moments. That is a consolation to all. Lieutenant Stevenson got here before he died in a half hour or an hour this morning. He knew him. He called all the family by name that is at home along through the night and wanted to know if his Mother was not here. He told me good bye about a half hour before he died. He will be buried this Evening in a very decent style and honors of war. I will have a board placed at the head of the grave so that you or any of the relations come to Camp Moore you can visit his grave. I am in tolerable health with the exception of cold. Base Kelley died some three hours before brother. He will be buried also this evening. He also died of Typhoid pneumonia. There is a prospect of our staying all winter at this place. I will bring my letter to a close as I have no other news that you do not know. I remain your son until death. Excuse errors and mistakes. T. Y. Harp" Source: "My Kin Folks by Thomas Young Harp II"