Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and His Medal of Honor

Jun 13 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and His Medal of Honor

Alonzo Cushing stood his ground amid a hailstorm of lead and iron, his artillery crew faltering under relentless Confederate pressure. Blood seeped through his uniform. His right arm shattered, hanging useless at his side, yet his voice cracked sharp—“Keep firing!”—a ragged order that roared above the chaos. There, amid the smoke-choked fields of Gettysburg, Cushing was a man carved out of iron and grit, refusing to yield even as death reached for him.

A Son of Wisconsin, Forged by Faith and Duty

Born in 1841 in Delafield, Wisconsin, Alonzo Hersford Cushing hailed from a lineage steeped in military tradition. Graduating from West Point in 1861, he stepped into a nation torn apart, answering a call larger than any personal ambition. Raised in a household anchored by Presbyterian values, Cushing’s faith shaped an unyielding moral compass—to serve honorably, even unto death.

His letters reveal a man wrestling with the gravity of war and his place in God’s plan. “I must do my duty,” he wrote. “Trusted to hold the line, lifted by faith, carrying his burden with quiet resolve.” The Bible was never far. His favorite anchor:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God goes with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Holding Cemetery Ridge: The Crucible at Gettysburg

July 3, 1863. The third day at Gettysburg. The Union position on Cemetery Ridge was about to collapse under Pickett’s Charge. Lieutenant Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, perched on a crucial knoll. Through blinding musket fire and whistling cannonballs, he directed his six iron beasts.

Confederate infantry surged, grinding forward in bloody waves. Cushing’s artillerymen were cut down one by one. By afternoon, suffering grievous wounds—reports confirm his right arm shattered, torso pierced by bullets—he still manned the guns himself, turning the wheel and sighting the guns with one good hand. His voice, ragged but furious, urging “Keep firing!” rang over the field.

Witnesses recorded his silhouette against the blaze of cannon fire, unmoving, resolute until he finally collapsed, dying at his post. His actions are credited with buying critical minutes that helped stem the Confederate tide. Colonel Charles Ewing captured the essence:

“There on that ridge, with his shattered arm and mortal wounds, Cushing stood as the embodiment of sacrifice.”

Recognition Deferred: A Medal of Honor Earned in Blood

Cushing died on the battlefield, his heroism apparent, but the Medal of Honor remained elusive for over a century. His comrades lauded him immediately, yet official recognition lagged in the bureaucratic aftermath of war.

It was not until 2014—151 years later—that Alonzo Cushing was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama, acknowledging his “extraordinary heroism” during Pickett’s Charge. The citation commends his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

President Obama said,

“Alonzo Cushing’s valor reminds us that courage is at the heart of the American story.”

The Legacy of a Fallen Artilleryman: Courage Beyond Flesh

Cushing’s story is a testament to endurance beyond the limits of human flesh. The raw courage that drove him to fight on, broken and bleeding, challenges every generation of warriors and civilians alike.

The field where he fell is hallowed ground. His sacrifice speaks across centuries: true valor is not the absence of fear but the steadfast refusal to surrender it. It is the choice to stand when all else crumbles. His faith carried him through, his duty defined him, and his scars earned him a place in the eternal story of sacrifice.

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Alonzo Cushing did exactly that. His life and death preach a gospel of dedication, a call to serve with unwavering resolve. For every veteran holding scars unseen, and every citizen grappling with freedom’s cost—his legacy burns bright, a prayer etched in iron and blood.

That a man might fall—but never truly be lost.

Sources

1. United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A-L) 2. Boritt, Gabor S., The Gettysburg Gospel (2006) 3. U.S. Congress, Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Alonzo H. Cushing 4. Obama, Barack, Medal of Honor Ceremony Remarks, White House Archives, November 6, 2014