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Woman Won 'Male Rights' Fighting in Civil War

Soldier remained in her disguise for better jobs, voting rights

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted May 24, 2009 6:50 PM CDT

(Newser) – A veteran of 40 Civil War skirmishes and battles kept one secret under wraps: her breasts. Union Army soldier Albert Cashier was really Jennie Hodgers, one of hundreds of women who fought in the war. "The country needed men, and I wanted excitement," Hodgers said. She also benefited from 19th-century male-only rights like a paycheck, a ballot, and an independent life, NPR reports.

When the military uncovered Hodgers' deception, former comrades fought for her veteran's pension. Hodgers settled in sleepy Saunemin, Ill., where the remains of her house inspire pride in some residents and shame in others to this day. The town plans to rebuild the house and organize historical tours. "I wouldn't like to think that that's what puts us on the map," says one farmer, "but maybe it is."

[Images (5)]

[Quotes (2)]

Jennie Hodgers, who enlisted under the name of Albert Cashier, fought for the Union at the siege of Vicksburg, and 40 other battles. (©usm photos)

Many women enlisted in the Union Army under men's names during the Civil War. (Flickr)

"The Battle of Fredericksburg," by John Richards. (Getty Images)

A dead Confederate soldier inn the trenches near Fredericksburg, Virginia. (Getty Images)

15th January 1865: The attack by Union forces on Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Printed by Currier & Ives. (Getty Images)

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Once they were in the pants and earning more money and spending their money, they seemed to greatly enjoy the freedom that came with being perceived as a man. - Deanne Blanton, explaining why many women who fought in the Civil War remained in their disguises afterward

Other people, I think, frankly, would rather everybody not know we had a cross-dresser in Saunemin. - Dina Schulz, a resident of the town where Albert Cashier settled, illustrating the small town's mixed attitude toward their most famous veteran

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Woman Won 'Male Rights' Fighting in Civil War