Jenny Hodgers
Jennie Hodgers
Jennie Hodgers was born in 1844 in Ireland. She later made her way to the U.S. and lived around Belvidere, Illinois. She had already assumed the male identity of "Albert D. J. Cashier" before the outbreak of the war and was accustomed to life as a man. She joined the 95th Illinois Infantry Volunteers in August of 1862 when she was 18 years old. Although she contracted chronic diarrhea in 1863, threatening her with a hospital stay and exposure, she avoided a thorough physical examination and convinced the doctors to treat her as an outpatient.
The 95th Infantry served in Grant's northern Mississippi campaign in 1862 and 1863, including the siege of Vicksburg as well as many other battles. After the war she returned to Illinois, still under her assumed identity. She collected a pension as Albert D. J. Cashier and continued masquerading as a man until a broken leg led to her discovery. She was admitted to the Soldiers and Sailors home to receive long-term care. News of her true identity spread, although she continued to receive her pension. The state of Illinois declared Hodgers insane on the grounds that she had been posing as a Civil War veteran, and she was transferred to the Hospital for the Insane in Watertown. While in the hospital she was required to resume women's dress, but she could not accustom herself to wearing a dress after having worn pants almost all of her life. Although she came under attack for her supposed mental imbalance, Hodger's former comrades-in-arms continued to support her and gave her a military style burial when she died in October of 1915.
The 95th Infantry served in Grant's northern Mississippi campaign in 1862 and 1863, including the siege of Vicksburg as well as many other battles. After the war she returned to Illinois, still under her assumed identity. She collected a pension as Albert D. J. Cashier and continued masquerading as a man until a broken leg led to her discovery. She was admitted to the Soldiers and Sailors home to receive long-term care. News of her true identity spread, although she continued to receive her pension. The state of Illinois declared Hodgers insane on the grounds that she had been posing as a Civil War veteran, and she was transferred to the Hospital for the Insane in Watertown. While in the hospital she was required to resume women's dress, but she could not accustom herself to wearing a dress after having worn pants almost all of her life. Although she came under attack for her supposed mental imbalance, Hodger's former comrades-in-arms continued to support her and gave her a military style burial when she died in October of 1915.