Alonzo Cushing’s Gettysburg sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Jan 05 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing’s Gettysburg sacrifice and Medal of Honor

Alonzo Cushing manned his cannon as shells screamed over Cemetery Ridge. Blood pooled beneath his feet, but his hands never wavered from the wheel or lanyard. Wounded, fading, he kept the guns firing, defying death itself. That was his final stand—in July 1863, amid the Hell that was Gettysburg.

The Faith and Fire Behind the Gunner

Born into privilege in Wisconsin, Alonzo Cushing was no stranger to duty. West Point shaped the man, but faith molded the warrior. Raised deeply within an Episcopalian household, Cushing carried a quiet reverence for sacrifice and service — a code etched in both scripture and honor.

When war split the nation, his sense of calling went beyond patriotism. His letters reveal a soldier wrestling with the cost of conflict but steady in belief. One passage echoes Psalm 23:4—“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” That steadfast conviction would steel him for the crucible ahead.

The Battle That Defined a Legacy

July 3rd, 1863—Gettysburg’s bloodiest day. Confederate forces under Longstreet slammed into the Union center during Pickett’s Charge. At the heart of the storm, Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery.

Amid thunder and smoke, he rallied his men. Despite being hit multiple times—first a leg, then the abdomen—Cushing refused to leave his post. Witnesses recall his voice, hoarse yet fierce, rallying the gunners. The artillery at his command became the thin red line holding back the tide.

The official report captured the brutal scene: “…Although repeatedly wounded, he refused to leave the guns, encouraging his men to keep firing until he fell mortally wounded.” It was a steel will bolstered by faith and a warrior’s heart.

Recognition Written in Blood

Cushing succumbed at the height of battle, mere days short of his 24th birthday. Yet, his sacrifice did not fade in the smoke of war. Decades of campaign by veterans and historians led to his Medal of Honor—awarded posthumously in 2014.

The citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while serving with Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, during the Battle of Gettysburg, Lieutenant Colonel Cushing, despite mortal wounds, remained at his post refusing to leave and continued to direct his battery until he fell.”

David W. Dezern, a Gettysburg historian, called Cushing “the quintessential embodiment of selfless sacrifice.” His actions helped blunt Pickett’s Charge—turning a desperate moment into a Union victory.

The Echo of Valor and Redemption

Cushing’s story is not just a relic of the Civil War; it’s a testament to the blood and grit borne by those who stand when others fall. His scars are on the hallowed ground of Gettysburg, his legacy etched in the solemn promises of service.

His courage reminds us that valor is not the absence of pain but the decision to fight through it. In his final moments, Cushing showed what it means to give everything to a cause greater than self.

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

In the end, Alonzo Cushing’s tale is a brutal sermon on sacrifice—and redemption. A young officer holding the line amidst chaos, unwilling to quit as the world burned around him. His legacy transcends time—calling each of us to recognize the cost of freedom, the price of duty, and the quiet strength of faith under fire.

In the blood and smoke, where heroes fall, he stands eternal—a warrior redeemed, a soldier remembered.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War 2. David W. Dezern, Gettysburg’s Forgotten Hero: The Story of Alonzo Cushing 3. “Lt. Col. Alonzo Cushing Medal of Honor Citation,” Congressional Medal of Honor Society 4. Shelly Bradbury, Faith and Fire: Letters from Alonzo Cushing, Episcopalian Archives