John Herbstreith was born in 1835 in Guttenberg, Germany, left there as a young man and settled in Cook County, Illinois. He followed his trade of carpenter there and during his Civil War service was thrown from a horse and seriously injured. His injuries eventually resulted in his death, after years of suffering, on June 8, 1879, at the age of forty-four years. He enlisted Ausust 1, 1861, at St. Louis, Missouri, in Company E, First Missouri Cavalry Regiment of the Union Volunteers, and received his honorable discharge from the service at St. Louis on September 19, 1864. His wife, Caroline (Holtz) Herbstreith, was born in Germany January 1, 1829. Her first marriage with Mr. Holtz took place in Germany, and after her immigration to this country she was widowed and later married John Herbstreith on November 20, 1868 at Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
She is buried at the Roots Cemetery, Nemaha County, Kansas.

(from The History of Nemaha County)

From Google re:
lst REGIMENT MO CAVALRY. Volunteers
Organized at Jefferson Barracks, MO, September 6, 1861. Moved to Benton Barracks September 12, thence to Jefferson City, MO, September 21 (5 Cos.). Other Companies moved to Jefferson City October 4 and joined Regiment at Tipton, MO, October 19. Expedition to Lexington October 5-16 (Cos. "C" and "L"). Capture of Lexington October 16 (Cos. "C" and "L"). Warrensburg October 18. Fremont's advance on Springfield, MO, October 20-26. 1st Battalion (Cos. "A," "C" "D" and "E") moved to Sedalia, MO, as escort to General Hunter, November; thence to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and duty there till May, 1862. Attached to Dept. of Kansas November, 1861, to May, 1862. District of Southwest Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to October, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Frontier, Dept. of Missouri, to February, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Frontier, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, District of Southeast Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to August, 1863. Reserve Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Arkansas Expedition, to December, 1863. 1st Brigade, 1st Division Cavalry, Army of Arkansas, to January, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Army Corps, Dept. of Arkansas, to May, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 7th Army Corps, to September, 1864. (Reigiment consolidated to 7 Cos. September 10, 1864.) 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, 7th Army Corps, to March, 1865. Separate Brigade, 7th Army Corps, to September, 1865.

SERV1CE.--1rst Battalion--Operations about Atchison, Kansas, January 20-24, 1862 (Co. "E"). Pink Hill March 31 (Cos. "C" and "D"). Moved to Independence, MO, May, 1862, and operating against guerrillas till September, 1862. Scout to Little Blue May 15-17 (Detachment). Independence May 16 (Detachment). Near Sedalia June 5 (Cos. "A," "C" and "E"). Operations in Johnson County June 28-29. Expedition toward Blackwater and Chapel Hill July 6-9. Expedition in Cass County July 9-11. Lotspeach Farm, near Wadesburg, July 9. Sear's House and Big Creek Bluffs, near Pleasant Hill, August 8 (Cos. "A," "C" and "D"). Joined Herron's Division September -. At Rolla, MO, till June, 1863. Moved to Pilot Knob and join Davidson's Cavalry Division. Expeditlon against Little Rock, Ark., July 1-September 10. Pocohontas August 24. Shallow Ford, Bayou Metoe, August 30. Near Shallow Ford September 2. Bayou Fourche and capture of Little Rock September 10. Expedition from Benton to Mt. Ida November 10-18, Caddo Gap November 11. Near Benton December 1. Reconnoissance from Little Rock December 5-13. At Little Rock till March, 1864. Carter's Creek January 1864. Steele's Expedition to Camden March 23-May 3. Rockport March 25. Arkadeiphia March 29. Spoonville April 2. Little Missouri River April 6. Prairie D'Ann April 9-12. Camden April 15. Jenkins' Ferry, Saline River, April 30. Operations against Shelby north of Arkansas River May 18-31. Osceola August 2. Benton August 18. Near Pine Bluff August 18. Scout to Benton September 6-7. Reconnoissance to Princeton October 19-23. Expedition to Saline River November 17-18. Expedition to Mt. Elba January 22-February 4, 1865. At Little Rock till September. Mustered out September 1, 1865.