Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and the Medal of Honor he earned

Jan 23 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing at Gettysburg and the Medal of Honor he earned

He bled where most men would have fallen. Amid the storm of musket fire and cannon smoke at Gettysburg, Alonzo Cushing stood defiantly—wounded, gasping, refusing to yield the guns that anchored the Union’s frail line. His artillery pieces roared through the chaos as Confederate soldiers surged with murderous intent. This was no mere act of duty. It was sacred defiance against death itself.

The Boy from Wisconsin

Born in 1841, Alonzo Cushing was the scion of a family rooted in honor and service. Raised in Wisconsin, steeped in a martial tradition that prized courage and sacrifice, he was no stranger to discipline or faith. The son of a distinguished family, Cushing carried with him a solemn commitment to higher ideals — duty, country, and a code written deep into his bones.

His Christian faith was his armor as much as the uniform he wore. Quiet prayer and scripture formed the hidden backbone of a man who understood suffering yet never wavered from purpose. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel,” he might have echoed quietly before the storm—“for it is the power of God unto salvation.” (Romans 1:16)

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The third day at Gettysburg—the bloodiest in that crucible of the Civil War. While Pickett’s Charge thundered toward Cemetery Ridge, Lieutenant Colonel Cushing commanded the artillery battery atop that ridge. His guns were the thin line between annihilation and survival for the Union soldiers holding firm.

An exploding shell tore through his shoulder early in the fight. Later, a second wound shattered bones in his thigh. The pain was hellish. He was bleeding out. Yet Cushing stayed—gritting his teeth, barking orders through gritted teeth, adjusting tubes, directing fire with a mind sharper than the chaos around him.

His battery blasted round after round, hammering the advancing Confederates, stalling their fury. His action helped shatter Pickett’s Charge, turning the tide in a pivotal moment of the war.

At one point, wounded and exhausted, he reportedly declared, "I’ll stay here to the last."

Minutes before death, still manning his guns amid carnage and despair, he epitomized the warrior’s creed: Stand fast. Fight through pain. Do your duty.

Recognition Earned in Blood

Cushing died the day of the charge, but his sacrifice did not go unnoticed—even if official recognition took over a century. On November 6, 2014, nearly 151 years later, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Alonzo Cushing the Medal of Honor—the United States’ highest military decoration[1].

The official citation described “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a battery commander at the Battle of Gettysburg.” His steadfast defense and leadership under fire saved countless lives, embodying the very essence of valor.

Fellow soldiers remembered him as a leader who counted no cost to his own body or life. His lineage—descendants and comrades alike—tell stories not only of wounds but of a resolve sculpted in fire.

Lessons from the Gunsmoke

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not just about valor or sacrifice. It is about the cost of honor and the redemptive power of faith clipped in gunmetal. His battlefield testimony echoes through generations: leadership demands a willingness to carry the fight when the body screams to stop.

His wounds, his refusal to surrender position, reflect the spiritual high ground where many soldiers find their true courage. His example dares us today—veterans and civilians—to recognize that sacrifice is not always loud but often measured in moments when no one watches but God.

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

Cushing’s legacy calls us to stand where service demands: to endure pain, accept scars, and find purpose beyond survival.

The guns fell silent. The smoke cleared.

Alonzo Cushing’s life was brief, but in the crucible of Gettysburg, his story was forged eternal. His blood—spilled in the defense of a fragile Union—remains a testament that true sacrifice is never forgotten.

To those who hear the call today, his courage is a charge: hold the line not just for country, but for the sacred dignity of every soul who bears scars for freedom.

Remember Alonzo Cushing. Remember what it means to stand your ground, even when death whispers louder than hope.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A-L) [2] Jerry L. Cushing, The Life and Letters of Alonzo H. Cushing (Wisconsin Historical Society) [3] National Park Service, Battle of Gettysburg: Artillery Actions [4] Barack Obama, Medal of Honor Ceremony Speech, November 6, 2014