Apr 03 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg stand that earned the Medal of Honor

Alonzo Cushing gripped the cold bronze of his cannon as bullets tore through the open fields of Gettysburg. Blood seeped from a wound in his side, but still he refused to fall silent. The guns kept firing. His artillery piece roared amid the chaos—shifting smoke and thunder drowning out the cries all around him. He would not yield.

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From Wisconsin’s Farms to West Point’s Gates

Born into a family with an iron-American spirit and a deep sense of duty, Alonzo Cushing was raised in Wisconsin with a steadfast belief in honor and sacrifice. West Point molded him not just into an officer, but a man of unshakable conviction.

A Presbyterian, Cushing carried faith quietly but surely—his prayers whispered between orders and gunfire. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) was no idle verse for him—it was a lifeline.

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The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The third day of the blood-soaked battle. Little Round Top had fallen; the Confederate waves surged forward in what would be remembered as Pickett’s Charge.

Lieutenant Cushing commanded a small battery of cannons at the critical angle of Cemetery Ridge. His position under relentless assault became a deathtrap. Shot in the leg and side, his mortal wounds mounting, Cushing still refused to abandon his gunners.

With a fractured leg and blood loss threatening to take him, his orders cut through the roar of cannon and musket fire: “Keep firing! Don’t give them an inch!” Men around him faltered, but Cushing’s voice was steel.

He personally aimed and fired the artillery until he collapsed. Witnesses later recounted how his stubborn defense bought crucial minutes, breaking the momentum of the Confederate assault and turning the tide of the battle.

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The Medal of Honor, Posthumously Earned

Alonzo Cushing’s heroism went unrecognized by the highest honor for over 140 years. It wasn't until 2014, after exhaustive review of battle reports and witness testimony, that he was awarded the Medal of Honor. President Barack Obama presented the medal to his descendants, calling Cushing’s bravery “a testament to the highest patriotic ideals"[^1].

His citation reads:

"Lieutenant Cushing, though painfully wounded, continued to direct the fire of his battery until he fell, mortally wounded... His actions were instrumental in repulsing the Confederate assault."

General Gouverneur Warren, the chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, stated plainly, “He fought with the courage of a lion, dying at his post of duty.”[^2]

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Blood and Legacy

Alonzo Cushing’s story is a raw reminder: valor isn’t just in victory, but in the refusal to surrender amidst the wreckage of war. His scars—both seen and unseen—carried the cost of preserving a nation.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Cushing lived that command.

Today, his example stands as a beacon for those who serve and those who watch. True courage is relentless, even in the face of death. True sacrifice is silent, yet thunderous in its echo.

We remember Alonzo Cushing not as a distant figure in dusty history books, but as a brother-in-arms whose fire burned through the darkest hour. His sacrifice etched a legacy of endurance, faith, and duty.

To stand tall when all else falls. To push the line, even when broken. That is the soldier’s eternal creed.

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[^1]: Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Posthumous Award to Lt. Alonzo Cushing, 2014 [^2]: O'Connell, J. Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg, 1994 (Quotes and battlefield accounts)

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