It’s been long time coming, but 1st Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing, a Union Army soldier, is finally going to receive the nation’s highest commendation for battlefield bravery.
A spokesman for the Army said the White House will be bestowing the Medal of Honor on Cushing in the coming weeks.
Cushing was killed at the age of 22 in July of 1863 at Gettysburg. He was born in Wisconsin, raised in New York and buried at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was in charge of 110 men and six cannons and tasked with defending Cemetery Ridge against Pickett’s Charge. On the third day of fighting, Cushing’s force withstood massive artillery fire and an attack of 13,000 Confederates. Wounded, Cushing nonetheless ordered his guns to the front lines.
“His actions made it possible for the Union Army to successfully repulse the Confederate assault,” the White House said in a statement reported by AP.
The Cushing name is well-known in Delafield, Wisconsin, where a monument to Cushing and two of his brothers — Navy Cmdr. William Cushing and Army 1st Lt. Howard Cushing — stands at Cushing Memorial Park.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.