Alonzo Cushing’s Stand at Gettysburg That Delayed Pickett’s Charge

May 25 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing’s Stand at Gettysburg That Delayed Pickett’s Charge

They say hell is a crucible. For First Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing, that hell baked in the July sun’s unforgiving glare, deep in the fields of Gettysburg. A young artillery officer, bleeding, broken, but never silent. Even as death crept close, he kept firing. Gunpowder, grit, and blood—his final prayer to a fraying Union line.

Background & Faith

Born in 1841, Alonzo Cushing was no stranger to discipline. West Point molded him, but faith shaped him. Raised in a family steeped in duty and honor, Cushing carried scripture like armor. His Christian conviction wasn’t just Sunday church talk—it was the lens through which he saw the grind of war.

He believed every fight was more than man against man—it was man against despair. A deep-rooted sense of sacrifice burned within him. His letters spoke softly of God’s will in the brutal chaos.

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life... shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”–Romans 8:38

That verse, written long before stones flew at Cemetery Ridge, would echo with new meaning once he took command of Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The artillery duel at Gettysburg was relentless. Confederate bombardments crashed over Union lines like thunder. Cushing’s battery was exposed—its hilltop position pivotal, vulnerable.

The Confederate infantry swarmed. Amid a hail of bullets and cannon fire, he stood at his cannon, issuing orders. Movement was deadly. Wounds were inevitable.

When a minie ball shattered his right femur, Cushing refused evacuation. Blood seeping, vision blurring—he crawled forward, directing men to keep bayonet-fighting Confederates at arm’s length.

He ordered cannon aimed, powder charges fed, and fired “merely to keep the line alive.” The artillery barrage delayed Pickett’s Charge—crucial seconds and yards gained under fire.

Soldiers described his determination as “nothing short of heroic.” One witness, Lt. Charles H. Morgan, wrote, “Lieutenant Cushing, on the crest of the hill, remained at his post... firing his guns though mortally wounded.”¹

Recognition

Death claimed Cushing hours after the battle. His body was recovered, but his story did not end in obscurity.

It took over a century for full recognition. In 2014, President Obama posthumously awarded Cushing the Medal of Honor. The citation praised “extraordinary heroism” for remaining in command under mortal wounds, “holding the battery and changing the course of the battle.”²

General Winfield Scott Hancock, present at Gettysburg, reportedly called Cushing’s defense “the most heroic action” in the fight.

This wasn’t a mere medal—it was a testament to sacrifice etched in the American soul.

Legacy & Lessons

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not just a footnote in dusty records. It’s a mirror reflecting the code every soldier wrestles with—when to hold, when to fall. His stand at Cemetery Ridge reminds us of the cost behind every inch of ground and every ticking moment.

Sacrifice asks no guarantees. It demands faith, conviction, endurance. Cushing held fast not because he sought glory but because he understood the weight of legacy.

In a world quick to forget the measured courage of quiet warriors, Cushing’s blood-soaked ground cries out for remembrance.

The battlefield buries many heroes. Few rise again to teach us how to stand, how to bleed with purpose.

Alonzo Cushing is one of those few.

His scars—visible only in history’s stained pages—teach that valor need not roar. Sometimes, it bleeds silently, holding a shattered line in the name of something greater.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9

Cushing’s peace was earned in fire and torment. His children are those who refuse to let sacrifice fade. Those who remember that every hero’s death seeds a legacy that outlasts war.

Sources

1. U.S. War Department, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Gettysburg After-Action Reports 2. White House Archives, Medal of Honor Citation for Alonzo Cushing, 2014 Ceremony