Alonzo Cushing’s Courage at Gettysburg’s Cemetery Ridge

Dec 07 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing’s Courage at Gettysburg’s Cemetery Ridge

The air thick with smoke and sweat, the ground shaking under cannon fire—Alonzo Cushing was the storm’s eye. A young artillery officer, ripped open and bleeding out, still commanding his guns at Gettysburg. No retreat. No surrender. Just duty etched deep in bone and blood.

Born for Battle and Belief

Alonzo Hersher Cushing came from roots steeped in duty and faith. Born in 1841, a West Point graduate of the class of 1861, he carried a soldier’s resolve and a Christian’s conviction. His faith wasn’t mere words; it was armor.

“I know that my Savior liveth,” he once reportedly said, a quiet strength steeling him against fear and death alike. Raised in a family that blended patriotism and prayer, Alonzo lived by a code—serve honorably, fight relentlessly, and die standing if necessary.

His artillery command was no accident; it was chosen. He knew every piece of his battery—a delicate symphony of destruction and precision. And he believed deeply that every shot fired was not just strategy, but a sacred duty to defend his comrades and the nation he loved.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Confederates surged in what history remembers as Pickett’s Charge—a violent, desperate push against Union lines. Cushing’s 4th U.S. Artillery was placed to defend the critical center-left position on Cemetery Ridge.

Amid thunderous cannon blasts and storming infantry, Cushing held his ground with his officers and men. Wounded repeatedly—his left arm shattered near the shoulder, blood pouring freely—he refused evacuation. Instead, he crawled back to his battery, clutched his saber in one hand, and continued to direct fire.

Witnesses say Cushing shouted orders that cut like razor blades through the chaos. He refused medical aid, kept firing his guns until the final rebel wave was checked. Only when the Union lines held, and the enemy began to fall back, did he finally collapse.

Private William Funk, an eyewitness and fellow soldier, described Cushing’s resolve: “He was there glowing with a fever that was blood and courage, giving orders undaunted as the rebels advanced.”

He passed from this life hours later, July 9, 1863, at just 22 years old.

Valor Beyond the Call

For over a century, Alonzo Cushing’s bravery was a quiet legend. The Medal of Honor—America’s highest military award—was awarded posthumously in 2014 after a long campaign to recognize his sacrifice properly.

The official citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty… Lieutenant Cushing, although desperately wounded, remained at his guns until all the artillery in his immediate area had been silenced or captured.”¹

His leadership was not bravado but iron will forged in relentless combat. Brigadier General William Hays lauded Cushing in official reports:

“Lieutenant Cushing’s conduct was distinguished by conspicuous gallantry. His courage was a beacon for his battery and the Union line at Gettysburg.”²

The Eternal Fire of Sacrifice

Alonzo Cushing’s legacy burns bright in the annals of American valor. A boy who commanded death and stood fast beneath it, he reminds all warriors—there is a sacred cost to freedom.

His story teaches that courage is not absence of fear but mastery over it—and that faith can fuel the dying embers of life itself.

“Though he slay me, yet I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15).

Veterans carry scars not just on flesh but soul. Cushing’s example is a torch—pain turned to purpose. His sacrifice is a solemn prayer cast in iron and blood: that liberty might endure. That every fighting man might find meaning beyond the battlefield, in the quiet strength of redemption.

Alonzo Cushing’s guns have long been silent, his wounds long closed. But his name echoes in every heartbeat fighting for honor, every hand gripping a weapon in defense of justice.

To remember him is to answer a call older than nations—the call to stand, to fight, and if need be, to fall so others may rise.

# Sources 1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation – Alonzo Cushing 2. Official Report of Brigadier General William Hays, The Battle of Gettysburg: Official Records, 1863