Alonzo Cushing’s Courage at Gettysburg Held Cemetery Ridge

Jan 16 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing’s Courage at Gettysburg Held Cemetery Ridge

The air was thick with smoke and blood. Cannons roared like thunder, ripping earth and flesh. Amid the chaos, a young artillery officer stood his ground; men around him fell, limbs shattered, but the guns didn’t stop. Alonzo Cushing held the line until the last breath drained from his body.

Born for Battle, Forged in Faith

Alonzo Herserot Cushing wasn’t just a soldier. Born in 1841 to a military family, he carried the weight of duty deep in his bones. West Point shaped him, but it was his unwavering faith that anchored his resolve.

Raised in a devout household, Cushing believed service was sacrifice, and sacrifice was worship. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”—John 15:13 pulsed through his veins like a battle hymn.

In every command, in every order, he wielded honor as tightly as his sword. To retreat was dishonor; to falter, failure—not options.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. Gettysburg. The Union line teetered on Cemetery Ridge. Confederate forces surged, waves of men desperate to break that final stronghold.

Amid the storm stood Lt. Cushing, commanding Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery. His guns were the hammer striking hope into the enemy’s advance.

Wounded through the arm and leg, then struck again—bullet to the chest—he kept firing. Blood soaked the ground as he remained bent over his cannon, issuing orders, directing fire, refusing to yield.

When the 1st Minnesota fell back, and nearly all others disengaged, Cushing planted himself like a monument of defiance.

Though his final seconds blurred, reports say he looked heavenward and whispered, “Fight it out on this line; never surrender.” His voice was the last trumpet of courage.

Recognition Carved in Valor

Cushing died on that field, July 3rd—the last casualty of Gettysburg’s artillery fight.

His heroism echoed quietly for years until 2014. After decades of petitions and eyewitness accounts, President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Lt. Cushing maintained his battery under heavy fire, wounded multiple times, and refused to abandon his post. His steadfastness contributed decisively to the repulse of the Confederate assault.”

General Abner Doubleday once called Cushing “the bravest man I ever knew.” Fellow soldiers testified his actions were inspirational beyond measure.

His Medal of Honor came 151 years after his death—a testament that true valor endures beyond time.

Legacy Written in Fire and Faith

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not just about bullets or medals—it’s about will steeped in sacrifice and faith unwavering.

He held the line when every instinct screamed to fall back. In that moment, his life merged with purpose. The battlefield is ruthless, but in the shards of war lie lessons on grit, redemption, and legacy.

His prayers on Cemetery Ridge remind us: courage is not absence of fear but fighting through it.

In a world too quick to forget the cost of freedom, Cushing’s sacrifice calls us back to something sacred—the duty we owe one another, the battles worth dying for, and the hope born from bloodied ground.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” —1 Corinthians 16:13

His guns fell silent, but Alonzo Cushing’s courage still thunders through the ages.

Sources

1. National Park Service + “4th U.S. Artillery” unit history 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society + Medal of Honor Citation for Alonzo Cushing 3. McPherson, James M. “Battle Cry of Freedom” (Oxford University Press) 4. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Recipients (Civil War)