Women’s History Month: Who was Albert Cashier?

How much do you know about the history of women in Rockford?

In celebration and recognition of Women's History Month, the Rockford Register Star has partnered with Midway Village Museum to bring readers a local women's history fact of the day.

Visit rrstar.com or the Rockford Register Star newspaper each day throughout the month of March to read about the women who played significant roles in Rockford history.

Albert D. J. Cashier, born Jennie Irene Hodgers in Ireland in 1843, was a decorated soldier who served in the Union Army in the 95th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. In order to find work in the Belvidere area, Cashier adopted a male identity well before enlistment at Rockford’s Camp Fuller in 1862.

Cashier’s regiment was part of the Army of the Tennessee under Ulysses S. Grant, and during the Siege of Vicksburg, Cashier was captured but managed to escape and return to the Union camp.

After the war, Cashier returned to Illinois and lived and worked as a man, including voting in elections and collecting a veteran’s pension. In 1914, illness necessitated a stay at a state hospital where discovery of Cashier’s sex forced an investigation. Testimony from fellow veterans who served with Cashier led to the decision to allow pension payments to continue for life.

Cashier was buried with full military honors in Saunemin and given an official Grand Army of the Republic funerary service.

Want to learn more about Albert Cashier? Visit Midway Village Museum online at midwayvillage.com or in person at 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Women’s History Month: Who was Albert Cashier?