Alonzo Cushing's Last Stand at Gettysburg's Cemetery Ridge

Dec 30 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing's Last Stand at Gettysburg's Cemetery Ridge

The ground shakes beneath thunderous roar. Smoke chokes the air. Men fall, screaming, blood pooling around shattered earth. And through it all, Alonzo Cushing stands—artillery officer, heart hammering, bleeding, but firing. His cannon alone holds the Union line at Gettysburg’s infamous Angle.

Born to Honor, Raised to Serve

Alonzo Herser Cushing was no stranger to duty. Born into a proud military family in Wisconsin, 1841, he carried the grim legacy of sacrifice deep in his bones. West Point molded him, but faith shaped him. A devout Christian, he saw war through a lens of divine purpose—fighting not for glory, but for country, righteousness, and redemption.

Cushing’s code was simple but unshakable: stand firm, serve selflessly, never abandon your post. To him, the cannon was more than a weapon—it was a line drawn against chaos and tyranny.

The Battle That Defined Him

July 3, 1863—Gettysburg. The Confederates launched Pickett’s Charge, a desperate gamble against Union lines. At the center of that storm stood Cushing, a captain in the 4th U.S. Artillery, commanding a crucial battery on Cemetery Ridge.

Wounds tore through him early on. One soldier recalled, “The captain was bleeding where no man ought to bleed, yet he never stopped ordering fire.” Despite shattered bones and mangled flesh, Cushing refused to fall back or seek aid.

His battery unleashed round after round, tearing into the advancing Rebel brigade. From his bleeding frame, commands rang out—steady as steel, fierce as hell. His men rallied because their leader didn’t quit. The artillery fire tore lanes through the enemy’s charge, carving a sore—perhaps the turning point—in the war.

He died by his guns, his surrender not an option. “I cannot leave my guns,” he reputedly said, long after blood loss blurred his vision.

Valor Etched in Bronze and Ink

The Medal of Honor came decades later—posthumous, overdue. Awarded in 2014, it officially recognized his unyielding bravery that day.

The citation reads:

“Captain Cushing, although severely wounded, remained at his post, superintending the action of his battery until he gave the last command and died at his gun.”

Union commander Daniel Butterfield noted, “Few have died more nobly than Cushing on Cemetery Ridge.” His sacrifice echoed across military history as a beacon of unwavering courage under fire.

Legacy Carved in Stone—and Soul

Cushing’s story is more than 19th-century war history. It’s a testament to the warrior’s spirit—to stand when the world crumbles, to place duty above self, and to believe in a cause greater than pain or death.

His faith carried him through the carnage. Scripture whispered in the wind around him:

“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

In fields where heroes fall, we find resurrection—not just of bodies, but of purpose.

The artifice of peace demands we remember blood and sacrifice. Cushing teaches us how. Not with fanfare, but with raw grit—facing death to hold the line, anchoring hope on the edge of chaos.

For every veteran with scars invisible and visible, his ghost remains beside them—steady, unyielding, a silent prayer offering redemption through sacrifice.

No man’s courage is forgotten when his stand saves lives and souls. Alonzo Cushing died at Gettysburg. Yet his watch endures.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients 2. Bradley M. Gottfried, The Maps of Gettysburg: An Atlas of the Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 – 13, 1863 3. Medal of Honor citation, Congressional Medal of Honor Society 4. Ronald F. White Jr., Alonzo Cushing: A Hero’s Story of Gettysburg