This is what I came up with, Richard Kirk was a long time resident of Lancaster City, he can be found in the 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 and his widow in 1870 (Harrisburg).
The question that comes to me, is who gave Richard the lamp? He had three sons of age, which was my first thought, but then I wondered at what grade level would a soldier have to be to bring back such a item, in the midst of battle and thereafter. I imagine a private wouldn't be able to come close to pulling it off.
The above mentioned book, the author used newspapers for the story of the lamp, the author/newspaper says captured by Richard Kirk, but doesn't the lamp say "presented by" Richard Kirk?
It just seems to me that a high ranking officer might be able to carry along such a lamp, there was still a lot of fighting left for the units after the Battle of Resaca. I doubt the answer will ever be known.
Three sons of Richard Kirk, the 1850 census shows two and the oldest (Emanuel Kirk, I believe him a son) is living near by. The two living with Richard are Samuel W Kirk (122nd Pa Inf.) is out of the army in 1863. The name of the middle son in the 1850 census can't be read, I'm thinking Hiram Kirk. All in all, they would have been low grade ranks and were unable to bring back such an object.
Note: The 1850 census for Lancaster City is horrific, if one uses FamilySearch, they don't even have Richard and Anna Kirk indexed. It was sheer luck that I found the family.
Richard and Anna Kirk in 1850 (Samuel W is 7)
Lancaster City had a fair share of men that served, of course. The Reynolds family (unrelated to the lamp) had four men that served - Major General John Fulton Reynolds being one. President James Buchanan made Lancaster his hometown by 1812.
Someone, if its worth the trouble would have to break down all the Pa. units at the Battle of Resaca and then look over all the men (officers) and maybe a front-runner might emerge as a candidate for bringing back the lamp?
Richard Kirk and family are really a mystery, you can't find any genealogy, all their grave-sites are undocumented, can't find them. It's not known what Richard Kirk's relationship was with Union Fire Company, No. 1. I wish an answer was clear.
Image of the NEW Fire Steamer with the lamp.