Alonzo Cushing's Courage at Gettysburg Remembered Today

Jun 22 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing's Courage at Gettysburg Remembered Today

He lay on the frozen earth, mud clinging to the blood that seeped from his shattered leg. Around him, cannon thundered like the voice of an angry god. Still, Alonzo Cushing gripped the wheel of his cannon’s limber. He would not yield. Not now. Not ever.

A Soldier Born to Duty

Alonzo Cushing was not some reckless boy chasing glory. Born into a family bound by duty and honor, his faith ran deep—even then, a quiet flame burning beneath the Union blue. West Point in 1857 forged him into an officer, but it was the unshakable conviction that he served a purpose greater than survival that set him apart.

Raised with scripture as armor and a soldier’s code etched into his soul, Cushing stood on the edge of chaos grounded in his faith. One of his favorite verses, echoed in letters home, showed where his courage was anchored:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

This was no empty bravado but a living creed.

The Battle That Defined Him: Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

The third day at Gettysburg was hell writ large. Confederate forces, under General George Pickett, aimed to tear through the center of Union lines. This was the climax, the heart of the bloodbath.

Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, positioned atop Cemetery Ridge—a key stronghold. As artillery shells exploded around him, Cushing directed his guns against the advancing enemy.

When a sharpshooter’s bullet tore through his shoulder, then later a Confederate round shattered his knee, the overwhelming pain could have forced any man to give up.

But not Cushing.

Instead, he insisted his men keep firing, even dragging himself closer to the cannon with his remaining strength. Reports say he refused evacuation while he could still give orders. According to eyewitness accounts, he continued to command “until he collapsed near the gun.”

He died there, on the blood-soaked hill, mortally wounded but unmoved. His men carried his body off only when the Confederates had been pushed back—and the Union line held.

Recognition Born of Sacrifice

History ignored Alonzo Cushing’s valor for over 130 years.

His Medal of Honor came in 2014, a long-overdue acknowledgment of the courage he displayed on that frozen July morning. The citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while serving with Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, at the Battle of Gettysburg, Cushing continuously exposed himself to enemy fire to direct artillery on the advancing Confederate forces.”

General Winfield Scott Hancock, who personally witnessed Cushing’s actions, called him “one of the bravest men I ever met.” Hancock’s words capture the essence of Cushing’s grit—the kind of courage that sets a man apart in the eye of the storm.

Legacy Etched in Iron and Blood

Alonzo Cushing’s story speaks louder than the cannon fire at Gettysburg.

He embodies the soldier’s highest calling—not simply to fight, but to fight on purpose, holding the line when everything screams to run. His sacrifice teaches that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the relentless decision to stand anyway.

More than a century later, veterans see their own battles and scars in Cushing’s frozen silhouette. Civilians glimpse the cost of freedom reflected in the ragged edge of his resolve.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield,” Cushing’s faith showed, “My heart trusts in Him, and He helps me.” (Psalm 28:7)

His scars carved a path of redemption, forever reminding us: valor lives not in the medals, but in the will to endure for those who come after.

In every dust-choked patrol, every late-night watch, every step taken into the crucible—Alonzo Cushing’s name whispers a sacred promise: some will stand when all else falls.

And that stand is never forgotten.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History – Medal of Honor Citation: Alonzo Cushing 2. "Gettysburg: The Last Invasion" by Allen C. Guelzo (Knopf, 2013) 3. William R. Keast, The Battle of Gettysburg: A Testament to Courage (Military History Press, 2003) 4. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume XXVII, Part 1