November 12th (1861) it was ordered to Bird's Point, and from that place engaged in several expeditions, in one of which—near Charleston--it had a sharp encounter with the enemy, resulting in a loss to the Tenth Iowa of 8 killed and 16 wounded.  [Report of Lieut. Col. Wm. E. Small, Page 844, Vol. 2, Adjutant General of Iowa, 1863. Also Page 185--1866 Report.] The regiment suffered greatly while at Bird's Point from sickness, the prevailing and most fatal malady being measles, the aggregate loss from November 12, 1861, to March 4, 1862, being 96 by death and by discharge on account of disease. It will thus be seen that in less than six months the regiment had suffered a loss of 120 men in killed and wounded and by death and discharge because of sickness. It was repeating the experience of the Iowa regiments which had preceded it, in the loss of a large number who could not withstand the hard conditions to which they were subjected by the change from the comforts of their home life to the hardships and exposure of the camp and the march during a winter campaign.

- from "1866 Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Iowa" (Tenth Infantry History of the Regiment)