Civil War Blog

Someone reported to the census in 1890 that a Civil War veteran named Emanuel Budler was living in Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. However, neither the dates of service nor the regiment, company or rank were given. The above cut from the census page can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Given the various spellings of the surname, finding coordinating records has not been easy.

In the records of Sacred Heart Cathedral (Roman Catholic), Conewego Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, an Emanuel Beitler married Susanna Margaret Noel, 26 November 1854.

Nothing has been located for a name similar to Emanuel Beidler in the 1860 census.

A Military General Index Card has been located (on Fold3) for an Emanuel Beitler, who served as a Private in the 165th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F. Other records indicate that this service was from about 16 October 1862 through 28 July 1863 where he was discharged at Gettysburg.

The book, The Union Army, Volume 1 states the following:

The 165th, a militia regiment, of which one company came from Franklin County, one from Cumberland and the remainder from Adams, was organized at Chambersburg between 25 November 25 and 4 December 1862 and moved to Washington on 8 December. Proceeding to Suffolk it encamped there for some time and was attached to the 1st Division, 7th Corps. An expedition to the Blackwater was undertaken and in January 1863, a part of the regiment was engaged at Deserted House and pursued the enemy for some distance. The command aided in the defense of Suffolk, when it was besieged by Gen. Longstreet in the spring of 1863, and in a raid upon the Weldon Railroad in May. Its next movement was in the direction of Richmond and after destroying bridges on the South Anna river it withdrew to Yorktown and returned to Gettysburg, where it was mustered out July 28, 1863.

After the war Emanuel Beitler returned to Adams County.

In the 1870 census for Butler Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, the Beitler couple appears with four young children in their household. Emanuel was working as a farm laborer.

In the 1880 census for Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the Beitler couple appears with four children in their household. Emanuel was working as a laborer, possibly in the mines, although the mines were not mentioned in the census.

The 1890 census is noted at the head of this blog post.

Mrs. Beidler’s death at Williamstown was noted in the above column on the “Upper End” which appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph of 6 August 1892.

According to the Dennis Brandt Database, York County History Center, the dates of birth and death are not known of the Emanuel Beitler who served in the 165th Pennsylvania Infantry. However, the database indicates that Emanuel Beitler was a substitute for Charles Hartzel.

From the 1890 census, Emanuel Budler was still alive and living in Williamstown. However, no 1900 census has been located for him.

As for his birth date, the Register of Pennsylvania Volunteers from the Pennsylvania Archives, give the following information:

Click on document to enlarge.

An Emanuel Biteler joined the 165th Pennsylvania Infantry at the age of 31, making the birth year about 1831 or 1832.

Finally, a Pension Index Card has been located for an Emanuel Beidler in the Fold3 Records Collection. It shows that he applied on 27 April 1881 and received benefits until his death, whenever that occurred. The Pension Application was not available for this blog; surely the date of death can be found there.

Additional information is sought on this veteran, including the date of death and place of burial.

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Tags: Williams Township, Williamstown

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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Tags: G.A.R., Pine Grove, Pine Grove Township

John H. Bowers – 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on September 1, 2018

John H. Bowers is named on the Millersburg Soldier Monument as “J. H. Bowers.” During the Civil War he served in the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry.

The Veterans’ File Card from the Pennsylvania Archives shows that at age 34, John H. Bowers enrolled in the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry on 28 February 1865, at Harrisburg, and was mustered into service in Company K as a Private at the same place on 3 March 1865. He declared that he had been born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and that his occupation was tobacconist. At that time, he stood 5 foot 10 inches tall, had brown hair, a dark complexion and blue eyes. He served until 28 June 1965, when he was mustered out with his company.

On 26 February 1876, John H. Bowers applied for an invalid pension based on his Civil War service. He was awarded the pension, as shown on the Pension Index Card (above) from Fold3. John died in 1909, leaving no widow.

Several obituaries were located for John H. Bowers.

The Elizabethville Echo of 29 April 1909, stated the following:

John H. Bowers, a former resident of Millersburg, died at the home of his daughter in Harrisburg last Friday aged 77 years. The funeral was held in the M. E. Church at Millersburg on Monday afternoon. Interment was made in Oak Hill Cemetery. Mr. Bowers was a Civil War veteran and a member of the Odd Fellows.

From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, 24 April 1909:

Death of John Bowers.

John J. Bowers, aged seventy-seven years, died yesterday morning at 4:45 o;clock at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Harry Kirchner, 1925 North Sixth street, after an illness lasting for several months. Besides his daughter he is survived by three grandchildren. The funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock in charge of Rev. John Daugherty, pastor of Ridge Avenue Methodist Chrurch. Monday morning the body will be sent by Undertaker Sourbier to Millersburg for interment.

From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, 26 April 1909:

Funeral of J. H. Bowers.

The funeral sevrices for John H. Bowers were held yesterday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Harry Kirschner, 1725 North Sixth Street. The body as sent this morning by Undertaker Sourbier to Millersburg.

From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 26 April 1909:

JOHN H. BOWERS

The remains of John H. Bowers were shipped today by Undertaker Sourbier to Millersburg for interment. Mr. Bowers died Friday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Alda Kirchner, 1725 North Sixth Street, aged 83 years. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Millersburg. Funeral services were conducted at the home of Mrs. Kirchner at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon by the new pastor of the Ridge Avenue Methodist Church.

The final resting place of John H. Bowers, as previously stated, is Oak Hill Cemetery, Millersburg. There is some dispute over his birth year. The stone appears to indicate 1822, but has been read by some, including Findagrave, to be 1832. The age at death of 83, if the 4th obituary above is to be accepted, would make his birth year about 1826. If the other three obituaries are to be believed, then 1832 would be the correct birth year. If the Veterans’ File Card is to be believed, and he was 34 at the time of enlistment in 1865, then he was born in 1831.

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News clippings from Newspapers.com.

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Tags: Elizabethville, Millersburg

East Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg – Post Card View

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on August 31, 2018

An undated post card view of East Cemetery Hill on the Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

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Image provided by Debby Rabold, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from a family collection.

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