The Tenth Iowa Infantry

The Tenth was composed of companies chiefly enlisted in the counties of Polk, Warren, Boone, Tama, Washington, Poweshiek, Greene, Jasper and Madison, and numbered 913 men. It was mustered into the service on the 7th of September, 1861, at Iowa City, with the following field officers: Colonel, Nicholas Perczel; lieutenant-colonel, William E. Small; major, John C. Bennett. They were conveyed by steamer to Cape Girardeau, Mo., where they remained drilling the first winter. On the 13th of December, Colonel Perczel was ordered to march his regiment to Charleston and capture a body of rebels. The night was rainy and very dark. As he marched through a dense forest, his command was surprised by the enemy in ambush and fired upon. After a sharp fight, the foe gave way and the command proceeded to Charleston. The loss in this fight was eight killed and sixteen wounded. The regiment was with General Pope's army at the siege and capture of New Madrid, in March, and Island No. 10, but met with no loss. During the summer, the Tenth was stationed at Corinth, where its losses from disease were large. It was with Rosecrans at the battle of Iuka, and fought bravely, and in the two days' battle at Corinth it did gallant service. Major McCalla commanded the regiment, and Capt. Jackson Orr acted as major at the battle of Corinth, as Colonel Perczel was in command of a brigade. The loss at Corinth was about forty. The Tenth was in the campaign of General Grant which resulted in the capture of Vicksburg and the entire confederate army under General Pemberton. At the battle of Champion Hill, the Tenth bore a conspicuous part in that bloody conflict. The brigade of which it formed a part was thrown in to check the rebel advance when Hovey's division was overwhelmed by superior numbers. The brigade did its work nobly, but at a fearful sacrifice, losing half of its number. The Tenth lost nearly 50 per cent of those engaged. In the assault on Vicksburg, May 22d, the Tenth made two heroic charges. In the campaign of Chattanooga, the Tenth was in several severe battles, always displaying its usual gallantry. P. P. Henderson had been promoted to colonel upon the resignation of Perczel, and Major McCalla was made lieutenant-colonel in place of Small, resigned, with Robert Lusby as major. In February, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted as veterans, and was in Sherman's campaign through Georgia, fighting bravely in many of the battles. At its close, the Tenth went to Washington, was in the great review, and was sent from there to Louisville and thence to Little Rock, where it was mustered out on the 15th of August, 1865, numbering a little more than 300 men. It disbanded at Davenport on the last day of August. Of the 1,200 men who had belonged to this regiment during its four years of service, but one-fourth of its number were left.

SOURCE, Benjamin F. Gue, Biographies And Portraits Of The Progressive Men Of Iowa, Volume 1, p. 96 & 98