Women Soldiers in the Civil War: Jennie Hodgers

 

Historians estimate that between 400 and 1,000 women—on both Union and Confederate sides—disguised themselves as men to enlist and fight in the American Civil War.

Many served undetected for months or years, participating in major battles, enduring camp life, and facing the same risks as their male comrades.

Jennie Hodgers (1843 to 1915), an Irish immigrant, enlisted in 1862 as Albert D.J. Cashier in the 95th Illinois Infantry. She fought in approximately 40 engagements, including the Siege of Vicksburg, and served until the war's end without detection.

Cashier continued living as a man postwar, working as a laborer and drawing a pension. Her identity was only revealed in 1913 during a medical examination for dementia.

The Confederate Woman: Soldier and Spy

The Civil War Wedding