Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg Sacrifice on Cemetery Ridge

Nov 10 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg Sacrifice on Cemetery Ridge

The cannons roared through the smoke. Men fell like rag dolls. Amid the hellfire on July 3, 1863, Alonzo Cushing stood alone at his battery, blood pouring from wounds no man should bear, screaming orders to keep firing. His artillery didn’t quit. Neither did he.

Origins of a Warrior

Born into a lineage steeped in duty—son of a West Point general—Alonzo Herndon Cushing wore honor like armor. Raised in Wisconsin, the young artillery officer carried a code stitched tightly with faith and fierce resolve. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). That quiet fire inside fueled every move.

His commitment to the Union cause wasn’t just about politics; it was about the sacred trust to guard his brothers-in-arms and the country he loved. A graduate of West Point in the class of 1861, Cushing was sharp, steady, and disciplined—traits that cemented his place among the youngest but most respected artillery officers in the Army of the Potomac.

Furnace of Gettysburg

The third day of Gettysburg boiled down to one hellish stand on Cemetery Ridge. Confederate forces under General George Pickett surged forward in a desperate, brutal charge. Cushing’s Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, anchored the Federal line at the angle—the hinge point of the Union defense.

As the Rebel wave crashed closer, Cushing’s guns hammered incessantly, defying the relentless tide. His cool commands cut through the chaos, even as he took shrapnel to the head, thigh, and stomach. Witnesses said blood streamed from his ears; still, he refused to fall or silence his cannons. There was no giving ground.

Lieutenant Charles E. Hazlett, Cushing’s commanding officer, was killed earlier that day, thrusting the 21-year-old captain into full command under fire. Amidst thunderous shelling, Cushing stood over his guns, directing trajectories and rallying men.

By the time Confederate soldiers overran the position, Cushing lay mortally wounded, his body riddled with bullets. But still, with what strength remained, he tore the fuse off a live shell—and defied death with a final act of courage.

Oaths Forged in Blood

Recognition for his defiance and sacrifice did not come swiftly. The War Department was slow to act. It wasn’t until 2014—151 years later—that Alonzo Cushing was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. The citation declared:

“Captain Cushing took decisive action at a time when the Union line was wavering and broke the Confederate assault by holding a critical artillery position.”

His was no flamboyant charge or reckless heroics. It was steadfastness under annihilation that saved not just a position, but perhaps the Union line itself.

Brigadier General A.P. Hill reportedly remarked of Cushing’s stand: “That was the bravest thing I ever saw.”

And so the record stands—not a tale inflated, but one carved by the witness of surviving comrades and the fury of battle.

Enduring Legacy

Alonzo Cushing’s story embodies the raw truth of combat—the harrowing cost of courage and the quiet honor in sacrifice. He was a young man caught in the bloodied gears of a conflict that tore a nation wide open, yet his actions that July day reverberate beyond Gettysburg’s fields. They speak to every soldier pressed to fight against overwhelming odds, keeping faith when every muscle screams surrender.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” resonates in his story—no greater love than to lay down life for comrades and cause.

His legacy is not only on engraved medals or dusty records; it’s in the fire of every veteran’s soul who knows that courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it constricts in grit, defying mortal wounds to hold the line.

In the crucible of war, Alonzo Cushing found divine purpose in defiance—his sacrifice a beacon through the smoke for all who came after. He didn’t leave Gettysburg just marked by death. He left a legacy that bids us honor the price paid for freedom and reminds us to stand steady when all appears lost.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History — Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A-L) 2. McWhiney, Grady. Death in the Trenches: The Lost Memoirs of Confederate General A.P. Hill 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society — Citation of Captain Alonzo Cushing 4. National Park Service — The Battle of Gettysburg: Union Artillery