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Peter Redinger – Scalded to Death, 1887
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 2, 2018
Peter Redinger was a Civil War soldier who served in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private. He is buried at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. He was born 1 April 1839 and died 6 February 1887. Some information about him and his family is provided on his Findagrave Memorial.
His connection to Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was originally discovered through a on-list list of Pine Grove Civil War veterans. Through further research, the tragic circumstances of his death were discovered.
From the Pine Grove Press Herald, 11 February 1887:
A Fatal Burning Accident
The Lebanon Times chronicles the fatal burning of Peter Redinger, a brother of John Redinger of Pine Grove Township, who after the war married a Miss Hummel and then moved to that city where he has been employed at the iron furnace.
On Saturday evening at 8:40 o’clock an alarm of fire was sounded by the Lebanon Valley Furnace, caused by the colliding of a cinder truck with a lot of coal cars near the furnace.
The Perseverance, Union and Liberty Fire Companies responded, but their services were not required, although the Perseverance was early on the ground and ready for service.
The truck had been filled with hot cinder and was being pushed out by the pushing engine, “Handy,” while on the bumpers, between the engine and cinder truck sat Peter Redinger and Henry Kurtz, two employees of the furnace. As the curve was being made near Forge Street, the cinder truck with considerable forces collided with coal cars standing on the track, the hot cinder was forced up some distance above the car and in its decent the hot lava, like a shower bath, enveloped Redinger and Kurtz, burning them terribly.
In the spread of the hot cinder, Henry Kurtz received it upon the lower portion of his body only, and with great presence of mind ran under the water tank close at hand and had the flames extinguished before he received before he received very serious injuries. He subsequently was able to to walk to his home, nearly opposite the 1th Street crossing of the Union Canal, where his injuries received prompt attention.
The fate of Peter Redinger, who also occupied a seat on the bumper, was more serious and resulted fatally. In the decent of the cinder, his entire person was enveloped, the shoes on his feet being burned to a crisp, and his face to the blackness of coal. He was immediately carried to his home, on Forge Street, and Dr. J. Reinoeld called in, who did everything to ease his sufferings, and after lingering in great pain until 6 o’clock on Sunday morning, death came to his relief.
When the deceased was brought to his home his wife was absent, and upon her arrival home a sad scene occurred in finding the husband and father burned so terribly that recognization was hardly preceptible [sic]. He was 45 years of age, came to this city [Lebanon] from Pine Grove after the war and leaves a family of five children to mourn his sudden death.
He served in Company B, 96th Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was a member of the Knights of Mystic Chain, Brotherhood of the Union and G.A.R. His funeral took ace on Tuesday afternoon. services were held in Salem’s United Brethren Church [Lebanon]. Some of the relations of this community [Pine Grove] attended.
The Veterans’ File Card (above) from the Pennsylvania Archives notes the service of Peter Redinger. On 2 September 1861, a 22 year old Peter Redinger enrolled at Pine Grove in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, and was mustered into service on 23 September 1861 in Pottsville as a Private. On 8 December 1863, at Baltimore, he was discharged on a Surgeon’s Certificate of Disability.
As noted on the Pension Index Card, shown above from Ancestry.com, Peter Redinger applied for a disability pension on 29 March 1863. There appears to be a conflict between the pension application date and the discharge date. This can be cleared up by examining either the pension application record or the military record, neither of which was available for the writing of this blog post. The widow, Amanda [Hummel] Redinger, applied on 9 July 1890 for benefits. Curiously, she waited more than three years to apply for benefits – especially since she had several minor children to support.
Additional information is sought on this veteran and his war service.
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