HISTORY OF COMPANY K.

On the second day of October, 1861, a meeting of all the enlisted men of the Canaan Guards was called to elect company officers. Samuel Smith was elected Captain. Wm. P. VanDoorn, 1st Lieutenant and M. Smith, 2d Lieutenant. On the 2d day of October we started for Camp Tiffin, near Wooster, O., accompanied by a brass band and a band of martial music, together with an escort of one hundred and forty teams, all loaded with volunteer citizens and friends.

Co. K occupied an honorable position in the 16th Regiment, that of left center or color company. Sergeant John Patterson, Sergeant Cyrus Ewing and Corporal John Lamb, in connection with three of Co. G, who occupied right center, were color bearers.

Captain Samuel Smith resigned January 10, 1862, and Wm. P. VanDoorn, 1st Lieutenant, was elected and commissioned as Captain of the company, and P. M. Smith as 1st Lieutenant, and 1st Sergeant B. F. Heckert, was commissioned 2d Lieutenant.

December 27th, 28th and 29th were engaged in battle at Chickasaw Bayou. In this engagement our losses were heavy. twenty-seven men with all the commissioned officers of Co. K, were taken prisoners and held as prisoners of war eight months and two days. Number of killed while in service nine. Wounded, thirteen. Died of disease, fourteen. Discharged for disability, eighteen. Died since the war, twelve. Number of recruits, thirteen, with 97 enlisted men at formation of the company making a total of one hundred and ten men. Of this number fifty-two were discharged at Camp Chase, O., on the 31st day of October, 1864, and were permitted to return home. Company officers received orders to report at Columbus, O., November 5th. On the same day we received back pay and were discharged. This ending our service of three years and thirty days.

Sixty-six members of Co. K, still survive. JOHN SNELL