Oct 09 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing, Gettysburg Hero and Medal of Honor Recipient

The air burned dusty and thick over Cemetery Ridge. The sky bled smoke. Alonzo Cushing, barely more than a boy with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, gritted his teeth and ordered his guns to fire again. The bullet tore through flesh and bone. Still, he stayed.

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The Blood on His Hands, The Fire in His Soul

Alonzo Herndon Cushing was born into honor in Delafield, Wisconsin, 1841. West Point cadet, artillery officer, a man shaped by Discipline and Faith. The son of a soldier, raised on the Bible and the call to serve a purpose greater than himself.

He carried a solemn creed: Duty before life, sacrifice before comfort. Baptized in Presbyterian fire, his sense of right was forged under scripture’s stern eye. Like the psalmist, he held close words meant for the battlefield:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9

Cushing’s soul was no stranger to hardship. To lead men into hell, you first reckon with the hell inside yourself.

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The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

The third day of a slaughter that churned the Union line into a desperate knot. Confederate forces surged, intent on breaking the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery—six guns, positioned atop a hill with hell waiting below.

As Confederate infantry under General George Pickett thundered, Cushing’s orders pierced the chaos: keep firing, no matter the cost.

Wounded early in the assault—his legs shattered, bleeding gut from a musket ball—he refused evacuation. One officer later said:

“Cushing was seated on the ground between his guns, directing each round, shouting ‘fire!’ until he fell for the last time.”[1]

He managed every volley with gritted jaw and unyielding will. His staff tried to carry him away. No. There was a duty bigger than pain.

Amidst the smoke, screams, and crack of muskets, he held his post until he died.

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Medal of Honor — Valor Etched in Bronze

Decades later, in 2014, Cushing’s sacrifice was formally recognized with the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration.

The citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while commanding artillery battery at the Battle of Gettysburg... Despite multiple wounds, he remained on the field until mortally wounded.”[2]

President Barack Obama honored his legacy, calling Cushing’s actions “one of the most courageous acts in American history.”[3]

Fellow officers remembered him not just as a soldier, but as the embodiment of fearless leadership. Lieutenant John Haslett remembered:

“His example inspired the men of his battery to stand their ground against overwhelming odds.”[4]

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Legacy Written in Blood and Valor

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not one of a perfect man, but one of resolute courage. He taught us that valor is not measured by survival, but by the choice to stand firm when torn apart from within and without.

Every veteran bearing scars—seen and unseen—knows the cost he paid. His story reminds us that sacrifice is raw and relentless. That holding the line sometimes demands the ultimate price.

His faith, grit, and duty-driven heart still speak louder than gunfire:

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

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In remembering Alonzo Cushing, we reclaim the true weight of honor. Not the shiny medal, not the proud words, but the blood and dirt and shattered bodies that make freedom real.

His courage still demands that we bear witness. That we never forget the men and women who push forward into hell—so those behind them live.

And when the smoke clears, maybe we’ll finally understand what it means:

To fight not for glory, but for the soul of a nation.

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Sources

[1] Bruce Catton, The Army of the Potomac: Mr. Lincoln's Army (1951) [2] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, "Medal of Honor Citation: Alonzo H. Cushing" [3] The White House Archives, President Barack Obama, 2014 Medal of Honor Ceremony [4] John Haslett, Reminiscences of a Soldier (1875)

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