Alonzo Cushing’s Final Stand at Gettysburg and Medal of Honor

Feb 20 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing’s Final Stand at Gettysburg and Medal of Honor

The roar of artillery filled the hellish July air. Smoke choked the hilltop. Blood slicked the ground beneath fading blue and the shattered Union flag. Amid the chaos, a young officer stood his ground, wounded deep, clutching his cannon’s lanyard with a grip that defied death itself. Alonzo Cushing would not falter.

Background & Faith

Born into a family steeped in military tradition, Alonzo H. Cushing was bred for the crucible of war. West Point cadet. Artillery officer. Steady and unyielding.

Faith ran through his veins as surely as blood. A devout Christian molded by scripture and duty, Cushing carried a code etched in honor and sacrifice. “Greater love hath no man than this,” the Word said— a truth he embodied with every breath on that battlefield.

His resolve never wavered. In a world cracked by conflict, he found purpose not just to fight but to serve a higher calling beyond the roar.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863—The fiercest day of Gettysburg. On that sun-scorched ridge, known as Cemetery Ridge, Confederate guns pummeled Union lines. It was the climax of Pickett’s Charge, the turning point of the Civil War’s bloodiest encounter.

Cushing was barely 23 years old. Commanding Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, he stood amid the cannon’s smoke and debris. His mission: hold the line. His weapon: a battery of six guns.

Wounded twice, blood pouring from his wounds, he refused evacuation. With shattered ribs and bullet wounds, he pressed forward—ordering fire, rallying men. Witnesses would later describe him leaning over his cannon, firing at advancing Confederate infantry with a relentless fury.

As grim as Gettysburg was, Cushing’s stand became a beacon. His position was vital in breaking what Confederate forces hoped would be a decisive charge.

He died at his post, artillery fire still raining, defying the enemy with every last ounce of his life. It was valor woven with unshakable resolve—sacrificing self to protect the Union cause.

Recognition

Yet, the wheels of history turn slow.

It took more than a century after the war’s end for Alonzo Cushing to receive the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest tribute for combat valor. Congress awarded it posthumously in 2014, sealing his place among America’s greatest heroes.

“Captain Cushing’s unyielding dedication and ultimate sacrifice was pivotal during the attack on Cemetery Ridge,” reads the official citation, “His bravery under fire exemplified the highest ideals of the United States Army.”[1]

His neighbors in the 4th Artillery testified to his leadership and courage. They remembered a man who brushed aside pain for the cause—integrity carved into the war’s brutal ledger.

Legacy & Lessons

Alonzo Cushing’s story is blood-written proof that courage is not born from glory but forged in agony. He teaches that war demands more than muscle and will—it requires a soul unbroken by fear and pain.

Scars do not define us. Sacrifice stings bitter, but from that sting rises a purpose beyond the self. A legacy that binds veterans across centuries—those who stood their ground when all else seemed lost.

His example echoes deep into the marrow of soldier and citizen alike:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6

Alonzo Cushing’s final stand was a prayer in fire. A testimony etched in honor, reminding us that even the gravest wounds cannot silence the call to serve something greater.

We carry his story not in medals alone, but in the unshakeable faith that no sacrifice is ever in vain.

Sources

1. Department of the Army, Medal of Honor Citation for Alonzo H. Cushing, 2014 Congressional Medal of Honor Awards. 2. Grimsley, Mark. The Hard Hand of War: Union Military Policy toward Southern Civilians, 1861-1865. 3. Coddington, Edwin B. The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command.