Alonzo Cushing's Sacrifice at Gettysburg Saved the Line

Sep 23 , 2025

Alonzo Cushing's Sacrifice at Gettysburg Saved the Line

Alonzo Cushing’s hands trembled, bleeding through the grip on the wheel of his battery’s caisson. Shells screamed overhead. Bullets tore the air and flesh alike. The relentless hail of fire crushed around him. Yet he held fast, directing his guns even as his life ebbed away. When command faltered, he held the line alone—a beacon of grim defiance in the carnage of Gettysburg.

The Boy Turned Soldier: Roots of Resolve

Alonzo Cushing was a son of Wisconsin, raised in a household bound by faith and duty. Raised by Willard and Mary Cushing, Alonzo embodied a stern code of honor and righteousness instilled by his upbringing and West Point training. A devout man, his Christian conviction ran deep. “I would rather die than give up my guns,” he reportedly said, grounding his battlefield fury in something beyond mere patriotism. The Bible was not just scripture to Cushing; it was his battle creed, a source of enduring strength.

His demeanor was scarred by discipline and layered with humanity—a paradox of gentle scholar and hardened warrior. Cushing joined the Union artillery with an unshakable conviction that valor came from sacrifice, not glory.

The Battle That Defined Him: Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

The third day of Gettysburg boiled with the fury of Pickett’s Charge—the desperate Confederate onslaught aimed at breaking the Union center on Cemetery Ridge.

Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Cushing stood with Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, atop this ridge. His men under relentless Confederate fire, their lines buckling, retreat whispered in the chaos. Blood soaked the ground beneath his boots, a mortal wound in his thigh—a bullet tore through bone and artery yet did not silence his voice. From his saddle, he refused respite.

“Hold the guns. Hold the line!” he barked between gasps, his orders clear and unyielding. The artillery blazed back, felling Confederates like wheat before the scythe.

When his soldiers hesitated under the barrage, Cushing himself ran to command the guns. Twice more he was wounded but stayed, his presence a galvanizing force. His last act was a silent prayer before collapsing—dying a warrior’s death amid the smoke and grinding fury.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” — Psalm 23:4

Honors Won in Blood

For over a century, Cushing’s sacrifice lay largely unsung. His battlefield valor was noted, but formal recognition lagged. It wasn’t until 2014, after decades of advocacy by historians and descendants, that President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The citation captured the essence of a man who remained steadfast “despite multiple wounds and with guns being overrun.” Cushing’s conduct exemplified the highest standards of bravery and leadership.

Brigadier General David A. Welsh, whose battery was alongside Cushing’s, credited him with being a critical bulwark, saying, “Alonzo’s courage saved the Union line that day.” The award was a long-delayed reckoning: a warrior redeemed by history and church bell.

Legacy Etched in Sacrifice

Alonzo Cushing’s story is a testament to the soldier’s ultimate duty: stand when all else falls. His scars tell a truth too often sanitized from memory—the raw, brutal price of battle.

His example teaches that valor is not just action but a persistent stance against despair. That pain and failure do not define the man—how he rises, in faith and grit, does.

For veterans, Cushing is a mirror of sacrifice’s weight. For civilians, a reminder that Freedom is bought by lives laid down without fanfare.

His death was not in vain. It burns still—a flame of courage that refuses to be extinguished.

“Greater love hath no man than this...”

Alonzo Cushing’s faith and fight hold fast for those who endure the crucible of war. His legacy is sacred ground, a call to all who bleed for country: hold your guns—even when death sits heavy on your chest.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War 2. Wisconsin Historical Society + “Alonzo H. Cushing: Hero of Gettysburg” 3. Presidential Citation for Medal of Honor to Lt. Col. Alonzo Cushing, 2014 4. Gettysburg National Military Park Archives + Battle Reports