Alonzo Cushing and Gettysburg’s Last Stand of Valor

Jan 18 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing and Gettysburg’s Last Stand of Valor

He was the last man standing behind a shattered cannon, blood pumping through mortal wounds but never ceasing the fire. Smoke and roar filled the air. Chaos pressed in from all sides. Alonzo Cushing held his ground where angels feared to tread.

The Making of a Warrior

Alonzo Hersman Cushing was born into a world of duty and devotion—May 1841, in Delafield, Wisconsin. A son of privilege, yes, but also of fierce principles. His family’s roots ran deep with patriotism, and his faith burned steady beneath a soldier’s grit. Graduating from West Point in 1861, he earned a commission in the Union artillery.

He wore discipline like armor, but he carried a deeper strength. A quiet resolve nourished by Scripture and the solemn weight of command. Cushing’s letters to family whisper of his belief in a cause greater than battle: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23)

This was a man who knew sacrifice ran through his veins long before the first shot fired.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The third day at Gettysburg. The sun hammered down on Cemetery Ridge. Confederate forces, with relentless fury, launched Pickett’s Charge—over a mile of open ground riddled with Union rifle fire.

Alonzo Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, positioned near the center. His orders were clear: hold this ground at all costs.

From the first volley, his artillery crews were under hellish pressure. Men fell, guns jammed or shattered, but Cushing stayed. When an enemy bullet struck him in the shoulder, he refused to retreat. A second wound bit deeper, yet still he shouted commands through blood and smoke.

Witnesses later reported that even after suffering a fatal third wound to his abdomen—one that would surely kill him—Cushing remained at the cannon. His voice barely a whisper, but clear: “Firing my gun... as long as I live.”

The battle was a crucible of pain, tenacity, and valor. When Confederate infantry finally collapsed before the withering Union fire, Cushing’s battery had played a pivotal role.

A Medal Overdue

Alonzo Cushing died on the field that day. But his story lingered—spoken quietly, reverently, among veterans and historians.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, nearly 150 years later in 2014. The citation solemnly summarized his raw courage:

“For extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while serving as first lieutenant, Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery... Lt. Cushing distinguished himself by gallantly maintaining his battery’s fire against an advancing enemy... despite multiple mortal wounds sustained in the battle.” [1]

The award acknowledged what many living witnesses had known but bureaucracies delayed: Alonzo Cushing was a man who faced death in the teeth of a charge and refused to flinch.

Brigadier General Alexander S. Webb, who commanded the Philadelphia Brigade at Gettysburg, said of Cushing:

“He gave his life with heroic devotion... no braver soldier ever lived.” [2]

The Legacy—Sacrifice Etched in Iron

Cushing’s sacrifice is not just a tale from dusty history books. It’s a testament carved in blood and fire about what leadership and courage truly mean.

No man fights alone when his cause is just, and his heart lies with the men beside him.

He is a beacon for veterans who understand that valor is often invisible to the world—hidden under scars and silences.

His story calls every soldier, every citizen, to reckon with sacrifice deeper than medals or parades.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

In those last moments at Gettysburg, Alonzo Cushing’s charge was not just against Confederate muskets—it was against fear itself. His life burned brightly in a crescendo of resolve and grace, etched forever into the soil of American valor.

We remember not because he died, but because he lived the meaning of valor.

When the smoke clears, that is the legacy—a reminder that courage and faith can hold the line, even in the face of death.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A–L) 2. Harsh, Joseph L., Brigadier General Alexander S. Webb: Gettysburg Defender, Gettysburg Historical Society Press