Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg Valor and Delayed Medal of Honor

Jan 11 , 2026

Alonzo Cushing's Gettysburg Valor and Delayed Medal of Honor

Alonzo Cushing never flinched as bullets tore the sky overhead. The ground shook beneath him, cannons roared, men cried out in agony. But he stayed planted, fists steady on his artillery’s wheel. Wounded deep, blood choking in his throat, he fired round after round. This was a man who bore the weight of a crumbling line on his shoulders—who refused to let death silence his guns.

Born for Battle, Bound by Faith

Alonzo Cushing was no stranger to sacrifice. Born into a proud military family in 1841 Wisconsin, he carried the weight of his West Point education like a gospel before God and country. His upbringing implored duty at any cost: honor in conflict, courage in chaos, humility in victory or defeat.

The son of a war hero and a man of devout faith, Cushing’s compass pointed north—not just politically, but spiritually. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” echoed in his soul (John 15:13). He understood war as a crucible, refining both body and spirit through fire and blood.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863. The sun had barely risen over Gettysburg. The Union forces dug in on Cemetery Ridge, a line that would be tested by the fiercest Confederate assault yet seen.

Captain Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery. His guns were the thin red line stopping Pickett’s Charge. As Confederate divisions surged forward, Cushing’s battery poured destruction into their ranks.

A bullet shattered his arm. He pressed on.

A second shell tore through his shoulder. He gritted his teeth.

Even as comrades fell and ammunition dwindled, Cushing refused to abandon his post. Witnesses said he stood wounded, arms bloody, shouting orders. When he finally slumped to his knees, clutching his chest where a mortal shot struck, his cannon had largely silenced a breach that could’ve doomed the Union line.

He died on the field, but not before his battery’s fire blunted the Confederate charge. He bought time. He saved lives. The battle’s outcome hinged in part on his iron will.

Medal of Honor—An Honor Long Delayed

Alonzo Cushing’s courage was noted immediately by comrades and commanders. Yet his Medal of Honor would not come for over 140 years.

In 2014, after decades of campaign led by descendants and veterans groups, President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously—making Cushing one of the last Union officers recognized for Gettysburg valor.

His citation reads in part:

“Captain Cushing held his position against overwhelming odds despite grievous wounds. His actions contributed materially to the Union holding Cemetery Ridge, turning the tide at Gettysburg.” ^1

General Winfield Scott Hancock called him “the bravest man I ever knew.” Others noted his composed leadership amid hellfire, a calm in the storm that kept his guns firing and men fighting.

A Legacy Burned into the Soil of Gettysburg

Cushing’s story is more than history—it’s a daily summons for those who face chaos and fear.

His sacrifice reminds us that courage is not absence of pain or fear. It is sacrifice despite them. That the burden of duty falls heavy, but the call to serve rings louder still.

On that blood-stained hill, a young officer embraced death rather than yield ground. In so doing, he sealed a legacy of perseverance, of faith tethered to action, that spans generations.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Gettysburg’s fields whisper Cushing’s name in the wind and the rustle of grass. His blood falls with each raindrop. His cannon’s roar still echoes in the hearts of warriors who bear scars beyond skin—the scars that mark a life given fully, a call answered without regret.

Alonzo Cushing’s life shredded and bled on that July day. But his spirit—unbroken and unyielding— shines like a beacon for every soldier who carries on when all seems lost.

This is the true measure of a warrior.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A–L) 2. Gallagher, Gary W., The Battle of Gettysburg: The Defense of Cemetery Ridge (Oxford University Press, 1994) 3. Roddy, Joe, Alonzo Cushing: A Hero’s Story of Valor and Sacrifice (Civil War Journal, 2014)