Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and His Medal of Honor

Feb 10 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and His Medal of Honor

The guns roared and tears burned behind Alonzo Cushing’s eyes. Blood spilled over his hands as shells kept screaming from his battery atop Cemetery Ridge. The Union line cracked beneath relentless Confederate fire. He was shot through the chest. Then again, through the abdomen. Still, he refused to surrender his guns. He stayed at his post. Until his last breath.

The Making of a Warrior and a Man of Faith

Alonzo Cushing came from a family of honor and duty. Born in 1841 in Wisconsin Territory, raised steeped in military tradition. West Point forged steel in his veins. But there was something else—something deeper. A quiet faith that held him steady.

In letters and journals, his faith is unmistakable—a pillar amid chaos. He believed in sacrifice not just as duty, but as a calling. Raised Presbyterian, Cushing lived by a code: do what is right, even when it costs you everything.

He wrote before Gettysburg, “I have a clear conscience of my duty, come weal or woe.” No swagger. Just resolve. A man ready to pay the ultimate price because he knew there was a greater purpose, beyond the mud and blood.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The third day of Gettysburg. The Confederate Army launched what would become known as Pickett’s Charge—15,000 men striking the Union center on Cemetery Ridge.

Lieutenant Colonel Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery. He was outnumbered, under constant fire, and soon crippled by wounds. A bullet through the leg. Another shattered his jaw. Yet, he kept fighting.

Witnesses describe him standing tall behind his cannon, rallying soldiers, directing fire. When soldiers tried to evacuate him, he refused. The line must hold. The guns must stay firing.

His bravery held the gap. It bought precious time for reinforcements. That artillery fire helped blunt Pickett’s Charge, turning the tide of the Battle of Gettysburg—and the Civil War.

Cushing died on the field at 22 years old, surrounded by cannons and comrades. Bleeding but unbroken.

Recognition Earned through Blood and Valor

Cushing’s heroism went unsung for nearly 150 years. Posthumous honors overlooked in the chaos of history. But in 2014, after decades of advocacy, Congress awarded Alonzo Cushing the Medal of Honor.

The citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... despite multiple mortal wounds, he remained at his post, encouraging his men and directing effective artillery fire to repel repeated Confederate assaults.”^[1]

His commander, General Alexander Webb, said,

“Lieutenant Colonel Cushing’s coolness, courage, and example were the noblest of all.”^[2]

A hundred years later, the sacrifice of a young artillery officer still echoed, a testament to relentless duty under fire.

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice and Redemption

Alonzo Cushing’s story is blood and grit, yes—but also redemption. In the crucible of war, courage was forged not for glory, but for something sacred: to protect, to stand firm when all seemed lost.

There is no greater testament to a warrior’s soul than the one who fights not because he wants to, but because he must.

The Psalm echoes in his footsteps:

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4)

His fight was more than gunpowder and lead. It was faith under fire. It was a legacy of relentless loyalty to comrades and country.

Alonzo Cushing died defending a line, a cause, and a belief that there is meaning behind sacrifice. His story whispers to all who wear scars—visible or hidden—that valor is never measured just by victory. It is measured by faithfulness in the face of oblivion.

Sources

[1] U.S. Congress Medal of Honor Citation, Alonzo Cushing (2014) [2] Alexander Webb, Gettysburg Command Recollections (Union General’s report & memoir)