Jennie Hodgers as Pvt. Albert D. J. Cashier

Perhaps the most intriguing of the Civil War female soldiers, Jennie Hodgers not only served time in the military under a male alias, she also lived the remainder of her life as Private Albert D. J. Cashier.

The early 1860s saw Jennie enlisting in the army as Albert D. J. Cashier, a small but determined young man with dark hair and light eyes. Albert was assigned to Company G of the 95th Illinois Infantry, part of the Army of the Tennessee under Ulysses S. Grant. They describe Albert as being small and shy, which was not really unusual for soldiers at the time. But he also “kept up on the hardest marches, skillfully handled a rifle and never shirked duty.” Albert fought around forty battles with this group, and at one point was even captured by the Confederate army but managed to escape after overpowering one of the guards. He continued fighting with the Union soldiers until 1865, when he was mustered out.

Civil War Pension File for Albert D. J. Cashier

Then came the most peculiar part of the story of Jennie Hodgers. Unlike most women who masqueraded as men during the Civil War, Jennie did not shed her male identity upon returning home. In fact, she would remain as Albert Cashier for the rest of her life, working as a farmhand, church janitor, cemetery worker and street lamplighter. He was officially the first woman to vote. After all, as a man, he had that right.

Albert D. J. Cashier as a young soldier and as an older man

One day in 1910, Albert was run over by a car. The hit broke his leg and he was taken to the hospital, where his true sex was discovered. Somehow, Albert convinced the medical staff to keep his true identity a secret, and he was able to continue living as a man until 1911. His mind had slowly deteriorated, and he was taken to the Watertown State Hospital for the Insane. The hospital attendants discovered that Albert was really a woman and made her wear a dress.

Albert Cashier's secret identity wasn't discovered until 1911.

Jennie Hodgers died in October 1915. She was buried under the name Albert D. J. Cashier and was even garbed in the soldier’s uniform she had preserved so well all of those years.

To learn more about Jennie Hodgers/Albert Cashier and other women in the war, check out these topic pages on Fold3: Women Soldiers in the Civil War by dbreckenridge, and Female Civil War soldiers & spies by bgill.

Civil War Soldierettes Part 3 Jennie Hodgers