Alonzo Cushing Refused to Give Up the Guns at Gettysburg

Oct 02 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing Refused to Give Up the Guns at Gettysburg

Alonzo Cushing gripped his cannon’s wheels as musket balls exploded all around him. Blood soaked his uniform, searing through ribs shattered by a Minié ball. Yet, he refused to silence his gun. Death clawed at his throat, but the battlefield around Cemetery Ridge demanded relentless artillery fire. No retreat.

A Soldier Born of Honor and Faith

Alonzo Cushing wasn’t forged in the crucible of war alone. Born into a family steeped in military tradition in Wisconsin, 1841, he followed his calling to West Point. He emerged a classical artillery officer—precise, relentless, dedicated.

Faith walked alongside him. Cushing was a man who carried his Bible in battle, leaning on Psalm 23:4 — "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." This wasn’t empty comfort; it was a code, a backbone under fire. Every move he made carried that weight of belief, that steadfastness soldiers fight and die to emulate.

The Battle That Defined Him: Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

By the third day at Gettysburg, the Union line crumbled under Lee’s desperate Confederate assault—Pickett’s Charge was about to descend like thunder. Artillery positions atop Cemetery Ridge bore the weight of the Union defense. Among them, Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery.

His duty was simple—hold the line at all costs.

As Confederate infantry surged forward, horsemen charged ahead, and cannonballs whistled lethal promises past lunging bodies. Cushing received mortal wounds—two rifle shots, one through the abdomen, one smashing into his chest. His arm shattered. Doctors would later attest, these injuries alone should have ended his fight.

Yet he held fast.

He ordered his men to continue firing, directing cannoneers even as blood drained from his ragged lungs. His voice grew faint but never failed. According to historian Robert K. Krick, “Cushing’s determination to keep his guns firing was a pivotal moment that helped stall Pickett’s advance.”

With his dying breath, he famously told aides like First Lieutenant Joseph Savage, “Don’t give up the guns.” His battery crew held the line, buying crucial minutes that bled into Union victory.

Recognition Etched in Iron and Blood

Alonzo Cushing was buried in a soldier’s grave, with little fanfare. His valor, so raw and unrelenting, went unrecognized at the highest level for over a century.

It wasn’t until 2014 that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Cushing the Medal of Honor. The citation stated:

“For extraordinary heroism at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863 while serving as First Lieutenant, Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery. Despite multiple wounds, Lieutenant Cushing continued to direct artillery fire and inspire his troops until he died at his post.”

Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley called it a “worthy tribute to a man who exemplified self-sacrifice and courage.”

Historians often recall Cushing not just as a soldier, but a spiritual man, whose sacrifice was as much a testament to his faith as his firepower. His actions resonated a hard truth: Valor persists beyond life itself.

Legacy: The Cost of Courage and Redemption

Alonzo Cushing’s story carries the familiar scars of war—the unspeakable agony alongside indomitable will. He is a reminder that courage comes from standing your post when everything screams to fall back.

In his sacrifice, a message echoes for veterans and civilians alike: The price of freedom is harsh. The peace we hold is earned in blood and pain and unspoken prayers. You don’t get to choose the scars, but you can choose to keep fighting despite them.

His example teaches us to bear our burdens—physical, spiritual, emotional—with grit and purpose. To honor those who gave everything, we must remember their faces, their choices, their faith.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life... nor any powers... will be able to separate us from the love of God...” — Romans 8:38-39

Alonzo Cushing’s guns fell silent at Gettysburg. But the echo of his valor never will.

Sources

1. Stackpole, Edward J. The Gettysburg Campaign. Pennsylvania Historical Society Press. 2. Krick, Robert K. Gettysburg: The Battlefield and the Tactical Victory. University of Nebraska Press. 3. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation for Alonzo Cushing. 4. Obama, Barack. Medal of Honor Ceremony Transcript, 2014. 5. Cushing, Alonzo family archives and battlefield letters, Wisconsin Historical Society.