Jan 21 , 2026
Alonzo Cushing and the Last Stand at Gettysburg, 1863
Blood runs like the rain on July 3, 1863.
Cannons scream, dirt airborne like fireflies in the dusk.
Amid the Hell of Pickett’s Charge, a young artillery officer, Alonzo Cushing, clings to his gun.
Wounded deep—three times over—but he stays.
Fire doesn’t falter.
They call it valor. He called it duty.
Born to Lead, Raised to Serve
Alonzo Hershel Cushing entered this world on January 25, 1841, in Wisconsin, son to a family steeped in military tradition.
The Army was his bloodline, his calling. West Point forged his bones at 18, graduating in 1861 as the nation ripped itself apart.
A man of fierce conviction and unyielding faith, Cushing carried his Christian beliefs not like armor, but like a compass.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.” — Psalm 28:7
He believed salvation came through sacrifice—not just in faith, but on the battlefield. Honor was life.
Gettysburg: The Firestorm of Young Blood
By July 3, Cushing was a 22-year-old artillerist commanding Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, on Cemetery Ridge—the position known as the "Angle."
A spot that would become the epicenter of Pickett’s Charge and the Union’s last stand that day.
Enemy lines surged forward, desperate, brutal.
Cushing’s guns opened hellfire on the grey tide.
But the worst was yet to come.
Sustaining wounds from musket balls and shell fragments, blood coated his uniform, yet he refused aid.
Eyewitnesses recall watching him work the cannon with his left hand, shouting orders through the smoke and roar.
“I’ll be damned if I leave my post,” he reportedly said.
The battle was a crucible where pain dissolved beneath purpose.
Minutes dragged like hours until a final, fatal shot tore through his chest.
Breathing ragged, Alonzo Cushing sank behind his gun. He died that day, fighting to his last breath.
Recognition Forged in Fire
For over 150 years, Cushing’s heroism at Gettysburg was recognized in military annals but denied by medals.
It was not until June 2014—151 years later—that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously, presented to his descendant by President Barack Obama.
His citation reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty… Major Cushing fought until mortally wounded, refusing to abandon his battery.”
Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, commanding the Union’s 2nd Corps at Gettysburg, said it plain:
“There never lived a braver man.”
Such praise weighs heavy—born from the blood and mud of America’s most savage battle.
Legacy of a Warrior’s Heart
Alonzo Cushing’s legacy is carved in iron and sacrifice.
He embodies the gritty truth of war—not glory, but pain and resolve.
A youth torn from life, holding fast to his post amid hell’s cacophony.
His story teaches that courage is not loud—sometimes, it's whispered through gritted teeth and fading strength.
The valor of Cushing resonates beyond Gettysburg. It speaks to every soldier who stands in the face of death and refuses to back down.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
This is the redemptive bloodline of a warrior who fought not for fame, but for the brother beside him and the country behind him.
Alonzo Cushing reminds us all: courage remembers no age.
Duty is the fire that burns when hope dims.
In his sacrifice lies a beacon—dark times do not define us. How we stand through them does.
Sources
1. University of North Carolina Press, Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen Guelzo 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation for Alonzo Cushing 3. National Park Service, Battle of Gettysburg Unit History: 4th U.S. Artillery 4. The Washington Post, “President Obama awards Medal of Honor to Civil War hero Alonzo Cushing,” June 2014
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