Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and the Long Road to the Medal of Honor

Sep 28 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and the Long Road to the Medal of Honor

Blood. Smoke. The earth trembling beneath pounding hooves and cannon fire.

Amid the chaos of Gettysburg, one man stood his ground. Not a step back. Not a whispered doubt. Alonzo Cushing, artillery lieutenant, held his battery with a will that outlasted mortal wounds. For hours, he refused to yield—commanding fire through agony until the end took him on July 3, 1863.

The Code Forged Early

Born in Wisconsin, 1841, Alonzo Cushing carried a Midwest grit etched by simple faith and duty. West Point shaped him into an officer, but baptism by fire carved the man. Raised Presbyterian in a tight-knit family that valued honor above comfort, Cushing found his compass in Scripture and discipline alike.

He knew war was hell, yet believed a soldier’s purpose was higher than the mere clash of arms. It was stewardship—a sacred trust to protect the Union, his brothers-in-arms, and the ideals they bled for.

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

This verse must have echoed in his mind as Gettysburg unfolded into a crucible no one could escape untouched.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The third day of Gettysburg. The Union army dug in, holding a line against the fiercest Confederate assault—the infamous Pickett’s Charge. On Cemetery Ridge, Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, positioned near the Emmitsburg Road.

Despite heavy Confederate fire, he kept his guns firing with relentless precision. An exploding cannonball shattered his right arm; still, he refused evacuation. Hand gripping reins with what strength remained, Cushing directed his men through the maelstrom.

As enemy infantry surged forward, the pressure mounted. Wounds multiplied. Blood soaked his uniform and the muddy earth beneath. Yet he stayed upright—the embodiment of resolve under hellfire.

Witnesses described how Cushing signaled his gunners, shouted orders, and rallied every ounce of life in him to hold the line. His last command came shortly before a Confederate volley delivered a fatal blow to the chest.

He died there, fighting—to the final breath—a testament to grit and sacrifice beyond measure.

Medal of Honor: Recognition Beyond Time

It took over 150 years for Cushing’s valor to be officially recognized with the Medal of Honor. President Barack Obama authorized the ceremony in 2014, posthumously awarding the nation’s highest combat decoration.

Official citation reads:

“Lieutenant Cushing led his artillery battery against Pickett’s Charge with conspicuous gallantry... despite being mortally wounded, refused to leave his gun, continuing to lead his men until he fell from his wounds.”

General Alexander S. Webb, Cushing’s superior and a fellow Medal of Honor recipient, reflected on the battle:

“I can think of no braver man on that field than Lieutenant Cushing.”[1]

This delayed honor speaks not just to his courage, but to the long shadow of sacrifice that sometimes slips through history’s cracks.

Legacy of Fire and Faith

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not merely of death, but of endurance under fire, a will to fight for a cause greater than himself. His unwavering presence under mortal wounds teaches that valor is not just what we do, but why we do it.

For combat veterans, his example burns bright: courage amid chaos requires more than steel—it demands faith, purpose, and the acceptance of scars, visible or hidden.

For civilians, Cushing’s life breaks past sanitized tales of war. It invites a raw look at what sacrifice entails. The battlefield is no place for glamour or glory—it is the soil of heartbreak and hope.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” — Psalm 27:1

Today, Cushing’s guns are silent, but the echo of his sacrifice still shapes the battlegrounds of conscience. He reminds us all: the cost of freedom is etched in the blood of those who stand when others fall.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Alonzo Cushing 2. Smithsonian Magazine, “The Forgotten Hero of Gettysburg Wins the Medal of Honor”, 2014 3. West Point Association of Graduates, Alonzo Cushing Biography