Originally organized at Fort Henry, TN., the 10th was comprised of men from the Nashville area, as well as, Humphreys, Giles, Davidson, and Montgomery counties of Tennessee. Initially serving at Ft. Henry the 720 men of the regiment were transferred to Ft. Donelson where it was part of Col. Heiman’s command which was surrendered in February 1862.

Those taken prisoner at Donelson were eventually paroled at Vicksburg in September 1862 and the regiment was reorganized a short time later, with Randall McGavock (below-left) replacing the deceased Col. Heiman, and seeing action at Chickasaw Bayou against Gen. Sherman’s forces. Early in 1863, the 10th was, again, transferred this time to Port Hudson, LA. before it was ordered back to Mississippi where it was heavily involved in fighting at Jackson and Raymond-where Col. McGavock was killed. Lt. Col. William Grace took command of the 10th at this stage and the regiment remained in Mississippi until September 1863 when it was ordered to join Bragg’s Army of Tennessee in time for the battle of Chickamauga at which under 200 stood in its ranks, a figure that would drop to less than 70 by December of that year., Col. Grace among the dead.

1864 saw the 10th being moved between various divisions, but still managing to fight at Missionary Ridge, the retreat to Atlanta, and during Hood’s Tennessee campaign. Following the carnage at Franklin, as part of the Bates division, the men of the 10th were seconded to Gen. Forrest’s operations against Federal lines of communication and demolition of bridges around Murfreesboro, TN., before they returned to Hood’s army to take part in the battle of Nashville. Here the 10th were found fighting around the Shy’s Hill area, Bates saw his division decimated with only 65 men, some from the 10th, making good their escape.

These men rejoined what was left of Bates division which in turn joined up with Gen. Johnston’s army in North Carolina, taking part in the final battle at Bentonville on March 31, 1865. The remnants of the 10th formed part of the 4th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment which was finally paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina on 1st May, 1865.