Albert Cashier: A Hidden Civil War Hero

“Not all Civil War stories were revealed on the battlefield.” Albert Cashier fought bravely in the Union

Army’s 95th Illinois Infantry. He marched, fought, and lived as a soldier

— but there was a secret. Albert was born Jennie Hodgers, assigned female

at birth, but lived his entire adult life as a man. During the war,

he served without discovery, taking part in more than 40 battles. After the war,

Cashier continued life as a man, working, voting, and drawing a veteran’s

pension. His identity only came to light late in life, making his story

one of the most extraordinary hidden chapters of Civil War history. For more hidden