Dec 18 , 2025
Alonzo Cushing's Last Stand on Gettysburg's Cemetery Ridge
Alonzo Cushing stood alone on Cemetery Ridge, the roar of cannon fire never ceasing around him. Smoke choked the air, and every nerve screamed, but he fired through the pain. One wound after another tore through flesh and bone. Blood poured, vision blurred. Still, the guns kept spitting fire. This was no ordinary stand. This was defiance against death itself.
The Making of a Soldier and a Man of Faith
Alonzo H. Cushing was born in 1841 to a family steeped in service and sacrifice. His father, Caleb Cushing, was a diplomat and lawyer, yet young Alonzo found his calling not in politics but on the firing line. The resolve he carried into battle was forged in an iron furnace of upbringing—discipline, honor, and an unyielding faith in God's higher purpose.
While scant records exist of his personal devotions, his letters and contemporaries reveal a young man who saw war not as chaos but as a crucible of duty. Faith was the unseen armor beneath his uniform. In the throes of battle, he reportedly whispered the Psalms, seeking strength beyond mortal limits.
"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
Holding the Line at Gettysburg
July 3, 1863 — the third and bloodiest day at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Captain Cushing commanded a small artillery battery defending the Union center on Cemetery Ridge during what would become Pickett’s Charge, the Confederate army’s desperate gamble to break Union lines.
As Confederate infantry surged forward, Cushing’s guns hammered the attackers relentlessly. But the assault wasn’t just about firepower; it was a test of will.
Wounded early by musket fire in the thigh, Cushing refused evacuation. A second shot wounded his groin. Blood soaked the hill. Yet Cushing stayed, directing artillery crews, rallying men, his voice rising over the cannon’s thunder.
An eyewitness, Lieutenant Theodore Lyman, described Cushing’s courage:
“Even when struck down, he encouraged his men to keep firing, knowing full well the danger to himself. His actions kept the battery operational during the crucial moments.”
A third, mortal wound pierced his chest. As his life bled away, Cushing insisted the guns continue, propping himself to direct the final volleys.
He died at his post. A soldier to the last.
Recognition Comes a Century Too Late
Medals and honors often move slow for those truly worthy. Cushing’s Medal of Honor came posthumously — over 130 years after Gettysburg — a belated witness to his sacrifice.
In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Cushing, recognizing his extraordinary heroism under withering fire.
The citation states:
“Captain Cushing’s actions during the attacks directly contributed to the successful repulse of Pickett’s Charge by courageously maintaining fire despite multiple mortal wounds.”
His valor was not just tactical—it embodied that sacrificial spirit instilled in few men, the kind that saves thousands at the cost of one.
Legacy Etched in Earth and Memory
Alonzo Cushing’s story is raw truth carved into American soil at Gettysburg, a place soaked in blood and bravery.
He represents the warrior who keeps fighting through agony, a beacon for warriors both past and present. Veterans understand this unwavering grit — the cost of duty when every instinct screams for solace.
But his legacy also points beyond battlefields to something greater: redemption through sacrifice. His faith, his refusal to yield, reminds us that courage is not free. It demands something from us.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
His sacrifice teaches that even the forsaken moments, the bloodied and broken, carry meaning. Redemption is found not in victory alone, but in faithful endurance unto the very end.
Alonzo Cushing never sought fame. He only sought to hold the line—the thin, fragile barrier between hope and oblivion. When twilight fell on Cemetery Ridge, it was men like him who held the day.
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