This is the true story of Albert DJ cashier, who was a transgendered Civil War soldier. This soldier came from my home state of Illinois, and fought not only for his country, but for his state. Most of those who knew Albert knew Albert as a man and it wasn’t until, he was an old man and got sick that people found out otherwise. Some places let Alfred continue being who he was and other said no you were born a woman you will live a woman. The federal government had to get involved because his Civil War pension was at stake. The federal government ended up saying that Alford DJ Cashier was who he said he was, he got to keep his pension, and now we have a fabulous book to pass this interesting individual’s history on to others in this timeline. ( )

The Fighting Infantryman was a story about self-acceptance, perseverance, and friendship. Albert D.J. Cashier, formerly Jennie Hodgers, immigrated to America from Ireland and joined the Union Army. He fought in the Civil War in over forty battles, and earned his right to his soldier's pension, and was proud of his accomplishments. However, as an old man, he became injured, and then grew ill. Many of his doctors and nurses protected his identify, but one day, he was betrayed, and newspapers ran a story saying a woman fought in the war, and the government ran an investigation. Due to accounts from his fellow soldiers, the government confirmed his identity as Albert, and gave him a proper soldiers burial after he died. I really loved finding out Albert's story. Transgender people have always existed, and in many cases are revered for it. However, this book sheds how transgender people were treated in the mid 19th century. People found them odd and did not respect them. Albert was forced to wear a dress at one point because he was put in the woman's section of the hospital. Children who may identify with Albert and his story now have a role model to look up to. Transgender people need more representation, and there are likely many other stories like Albert's waiting to be told. The illustrations are beautiful, and pair well with the text. At the end of the story, an author’s note is included, following with true testimonials from friends and fellow soldiers of Albert. Following these are blurbs about Albert's motivation to live the life he did, and then a paragraph about Transgender people in history. A glossary of difficult words and two real life photos of Albert are at the bottom of the page. Sources are listed as well.

Genre: Biography
Sub-Genre: Diverse Book, LGBTQ Book ( )