SPRINGFIELD – A short play about one of the most intriguing figures of the Civil War has returned to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Private Albert” introduces audiences to a soldier who served bravely in the war, earned lifelong friendship and respect from other troopers and decades later was found to have been born Jennie Hodgers, having lived more than 50 years as Albert Cashier.
“Private Albert” explores Cashier’s service to America, his quiet life afterward and the trauma at having his status exposed late in life. It also recounts how former Army comrades fought for Cashier to keep his military pension when the government threatened to revoke it. The play was written by Ed MacMurdo, former attractions coordinator at the presidential library, and stars local actor Mary Young.
Young said she finds it fascinating that about 400 people who were female served in the Civil War. Most simply pretended to be men for the duration of their service and then resumed their previous lives. Cashier, though, was among the few who began living as a man before the war and continued for decades afterward.
“Cashier was an unassuming person who lived quietly and privately for years but was immensely proud of serving America in the Civil War,” Young said. “This play tells his courageous story and leaves it for the audience to contemplate his life, his choices, and the pain of having everything revealed.”
Cashier served with the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which saw action in some 40 battles, including the siege of Vicksburg, the Red River campaign and the battle of Nashville. After the war, Cashier settled in Saunemin, Ill., and worked a wide variety of jobs for the town and local businesses. His status was discovered and made public when he was hospitalized in old age.
Albert Cashier during the Civil War
“Private Albert” will be performed on April 24 and 28; May 7, 12, 13, 21 and 22, and June 2, 5, 9, 12 and 16. The performances are free with regular admission. Most begin at 1 p.m. and are followed by a Q&A session with Young.
“We had wonderful responses from audiences when the play debuted last year,” said Lance Tawzer, the ALPLM’s director of exhibits and shows. “They seemed touched by the story and asked terrific questions.”
Another short play, “Lilacs & Letters,” is also running at the ALPLM this spring. It takes audiences to a Civil War hospital late at night, where Walt Whitman (played by Zaxxson Nation) is working as a nurse. Whitman, later one of America’s greatest poets, discusses the violence of war, reflects on national grief and puts the finishing touches on poetry eulogizing President Lincoln.
Zaxxson Nation as Walt Whitman
“Lilacs & Letters” can be seen April 29; May 1, 6, 14, 15, 19, 27 and 29, and June 3.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
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