Civil War?

I realize that there is a gap in John Sengelmann's bio. He arrived in the US in 1858; I'm not sure where the information is, or where he arrived. The next time we see him is in 1864, marrying Kate Geishart in Ogle County, Illinois. The Civil War falls in there at 1861-1865.

At first I looked at all Illinois soldiers and no, not a John Sengelmann in any of the various (maybe eight or nine?) spellings I have encountered. But after stewing on it a while I decided to widen my search. Who says he was in Illinois at the breakout of the war? I know he arrived in 1858 but don't know he arrived in Illinois in 1858.

These are some possibilities: He was recruited out of German town, New York, young and single, figured what the heck and went off to war. In the army he learned about the Dutch Reformed community in Illinois and went there afterward. OR, he met Kate Geishart there in New York, and promised to reunite with her in Illinois (where she had people, after all) and did.

New York would be the obvious place to look as so many German immigrants landed there and stayed, in limbo, while they either got the money to go on west, or got another plan. Going off to war was one plan; lots did it. It gave them the opportunity to learn about the country, gave them friends around the states, and gave them a little money they could spend if and when they survived to get out. The lucky ones made it out; some were probably injured or died early, as John did.

It was a nasty war, dirty, unhealthy, bad for everyone. But some people did survive, and go on to have many children afterward.