Feb 05 , 2026
Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg Sacrifice and Medal of Honor
The air was thick with smoke and death. Cannonballs ripped the earth to shreds. Men screamed over the roar of shells. Beneath the blood-soaked soil of Gettysburg, a young artillery officer refused to yield.
Alonzo Cushing was not just holding a gun line—he was holding the thin line between Union survival and utter collapse.
The Battle That Defined Him
July 3, 1863. The third day of Gettysburg. The Union’s fate hinged on Cemetery Ridge. Amid a thunder of artillery and infantry assault, Lt. Col. Alonzo Cushing manned Battery A, 4th United States Artillery. Twice wounded, bleeding from his leg and arm.
He stayed.
As Confederate forces advanced during Pickett’s Charge, Cushing called for his gun crews to keep firing until the very last round. His position was overrun, but he kept giving orders. Mortally wounded, yet conscious, he lay in the debris and refused evacuation.
“Do not abandon your guns,” he reportedly urged, even as death edged closer.
His sacrifice bought crucial time for Union defenders to rally and repel the assault. Cushing died at 23, shot through the hip and groin, blood loss unstoppable. But his stubborn courage saved the day—and many lives.
Background & Faith
Born in 1841 in Wisconsin of a distinguished military family—his father a West Point graduate, his uncle George Cushing an esteemed general—Alonzo was steeped in duty and honor. He entered West Point in 1857, graduating near the top of his class.
Loyal to the Union cause, he carried more than a musket or sword. He carried a calling. His letters home reveal faith laced with steely resolve.
“The Lord is my strength and shield,” he wrote, embodying Psalm 28:7.
His Christian faith created a framework for sacrifice, humility, and service. Battlefield chaos never dimmed his belief in divine purpose, even while facing mortal wounds.
The Relentless Fight
Battery A was positioned on Cemetery Ridge’s southern end—a target for Confederate artillery barrage before the infantry’s deadly charge. Cushing's guns delivered punishing fire on Pickett’s men, slowing their approach.
At one point, a shell exploded near him, tearing flesh and bone. His men begged him to seek cover. He refused. Instead, he ordered another gun crew to fill his place and lit a cigar to calm the nerves.
As the Confederate tide surged, Cushing’s battery lost its guns one by one. He fought hand-to-hand with infantrymen attempting to seize his artillery.
Accounts report him forcefully directing fire and limiting retreat, his voice cutting through smoke and screams until he collapsed.
His combat valor was raw, brutal, and fearless—a soldier who knew the price, paid it, and held fast.
Recognition Earned in Blood
Alonzo Cushing’s heroism went unrecognized for over 150 years. Lyndon B. Johnson recommended him for the Medal of Honor in 1963, but it was only in 2014—151 years after Gettysburg—that he received the nation’s highest military honor posthumously.
The award citation reads:
“For extraordinary heroism on 3 July 1863, while serving with Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Despite multiple grievous wounds, Lt. Col. Cushing remained at his gun, inspiring his men to operate the battery until he succumbed to his wounds.”
Generals and fellow soldiers recognized his leadership. Brig. Gen. James E. Wilson called him a “model of coolness and courage.”
His name now stands beside the greatest heroes who never wavered in the face of death.
Legacy Etched in Iron and Faith
Alonzo Cushing teaches us that courage is not the absence of pain but the will to stand despite it.
He forged his legacy in the thunder of cannon and the crucible of mortal wounds—choosing action over despair, faith over fear, duty over life itself.
His story echoes through battlefields and hearts alike. Veterans who carry scars know the weight behind his sacrifice. Civilians unfamiliar with war glimpse a glimpse of the cost behind freedom.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9
For Alonzo, that promise shimmered through smoke and blood.
In the end, there is no greater testament than a life poured out beneath flag and fire. Alonzo Cushing’s story demands we remember the price paid to hold the line—and the grace found when sacrifice meets purpose.
He did not flinch. Neither should we.
Sources
1. National Park Service, “Medal of Honor Recipient: Alonzo Cushing” 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Citation: Alonzo Cushing” 3. Eric J. Wittenberg, The Battle of Gettysburg: A Tactical and Strategic Review (Savas Beatie, 2016) 4. Charles A. Lewis, The Life and Letters of Alonzo Cushing (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1888)
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