US Cushing, Alonzo Hereford

Alonzo Hereford Cushing​

Born: January 19, 1841

Birthplace: Delafield, Wisconsin

Father: Dr. Milton Buckingham Cushing Sr. 1800 – 1847

(Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Fredonia, New York)​

Mother: Mary Barker Smith 1807 – 1891

(Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Fredonia, New York)​

Siblings:

USN Paymaster Milton Buckingham Cushing Jr. 1837 – 1887​

(Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Fredonia, New York)​

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Lt. Howard Bass Cushing 1838 – 1871​

(Buried: San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California)​

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Walter Buckingham Cushing 1839 – 1839​

(Buried: Unknown Burial Place died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)​

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USN Commander William Barker Cushing 1842 – 1874​

(Buried: United States Naval Academy Cemetery, Annapolis, Maryland)​

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Mary Rachel Cushing 1844 – 1845​

(Buried: Unknown Burial Place died in Chicago, Illinois)​

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Mary Isabel "Ida" Cushing Bouton 1847 – 1926​

(Buried: Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois)​

Education:

June 1861: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (12th in class)​

Civil War Career:

1861: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 4th​ Artillery​

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1861 – 1863: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 1st​ Artillery​

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1861: Organizer and Driller of Volunteers in Washington, D.C.​

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1861: Served in the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia​

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1861 – 1862: Served in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.​

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1862: Served as ordnance officer at General Sumner's headquarters​

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1862: Acting Aide – de – camp to General Sumner, Virginia Peninsula​

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1862: Served in the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia​

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1862: Served in the Seven Days Campaign in Virginia​

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1862: Declined transfer to the Topographical Engineers​

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1862: Topographical Engineer for Army of the Potomac Headquarters​

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1862 – 1863: Assist. Topographical Engineer for Right Grand Division​

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1862: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry at Battle of Fredericksburg​

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1863: Leave of absence from Army, January 26th​ thru February 17th​​

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1863: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Chancellorsville​

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1863: Served in the skirmish at Thoroughfare Gap

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1863: Killed at Battle of Gettysburg when he refused to leave his gun in the onslaught of Pickett's Charge​

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1863: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry at Battle of Gettysburg​

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2014: Recipient of the Medal of Honor​

Died: July 3, 1863

Place of Death: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Cause of Death: Bullet entered his mouth exited thru back of skull

Age at time of Death: 22 years old

Burial Place: United States Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, New York

Historical Legacy:

1987: A letter campaign to belatedly award the Medal of Honor was begun by a constituent of Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin.​

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2002: Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) officially nominated Cushing for the Medal of Honor.​

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2010: The U.S. Army approved the nomination in February.​

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2010: On May 20, the nomination was approved by the United States Congress, but awarding was delayed due when award was removed from Defense Department spending bill in Congress.​

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2014: On November 6, 151 years after Alonzo Cushing's death, President Obama presented the award at a ceremony at the White House, attended by two dozen relatives of the Cushing family. Cushing was awarded the Medal of Honor by Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) 2014-76 dated December 19, 2014.​

Medal of Honor Citation​

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to​ First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing, United States Army. First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing distinguished himself by acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an artillery commander in Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on July 3rd, 1863 during the American Civil War. That morning, Confederate forces led by General Robert E. Lee began cannonading First Lieutenant Cushing's position on Cemetery Ridge. Using field glasses, First Lieutenant Cushing directed fire for his own artillery battery. He refused to leave the battlefield after being struck in the shoulder by a shell fragment. As he continued to direct fire, he was struck again – this time suffering grievous damage to his abdomen. Still refusing to abandon his command, he boldly stood tall in the face of Major General George E. Pickett's charge and continued to direct devastating fire into oncoming forces. As the Confederate forces closed in, First Lieutenant Cushing was struck in the mouth by an enemy bullet and fell dead beside his gun. His gallant stand and fearless leadership inflicted severe casualties upon Confederate forces and opened wide gaps in their lines, directly impacting the Union force's ability to repel Pickett's charge. First Lieutenant Cushing's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his own life are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, Army of the Potomac, and the United States Army.

 

[jackt62]

I thought Cushing was only awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2014?

 

[Sheltowee]

I thought Cushing was only awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2014?

That's the way I read it. Wonder what prompted the action, all those years later?

 

[gentlemanrob]

That's the way I read it. Wonder what prompted the action, all those years later?

Thanks for catching that I went back and changed it.

 

[Tom Elmore]

All four Cushing brothers died while in the U.S. service, according to a National Tribune article. The impressive William B. Cushing, of the U.S. Navy, sank the Albemarle in October 1864 - he became a Commander but did not long survive the war and was buried at Annapolis. Howard B. Cushing was killed by Indians in Arizona while serving as a Lieutenant of Regulars; he had enlisted as a volunteer during the Civil War. The oldest of the four, Milton Buckingham Cushing, Jr., died in January 1887 after 26 years in the U.S. Navy; his last active service was as Paymaster of the Mediterranean fleet from 1879-1880. (The National Tribune, January 13, 1887, p. 4)

 

[Rebforever]

Wasn't there a General Cushing of WWII?

 

[Belfoured]

That's the way I read it. Wonder what prompted the action, all those years later?

My recollection is that a private citizen in Wisconsin who had ties to property once owned by the family began a campaign sometime late 1980's/early '90's after reading about his exploits at Gettysburg and stayed at it long enough that the Wisconsin congressional delegation began a push that finally got congressional action. I always found it odd that Cushing's Sergeant, Fuger, got the MOH in the 1890's but Cushing never did.

 

[Pollaco]

I thought Cushing was only awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2014?

President Obama, in an official ceremony on Nov. 6, 2014,presented the MOH to his second cousin twice removed Helen Bird Loring Ensign.A cousin accepted because Cushing left no descendants.

 

[Pollaco]

Before being hit by that bullet to the mouth that killed him he was already wounded twice and that second one may have been a mortal wound in itself. He was hit by a shell fragment that went right through his shoulder. Then he was hit a second time by another shell fragment seconds
later.This one tore into the abdomen and groin. This one is said to expose intestines (He held them in with his hands).

 

[Nathan Stuart]

After Lt. Cushing was struck down, Sergeant Frederick Fuger in his battery took charge of the remaining gun and also received the Medal of Honor for his action.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Before being hit by that bullet to the mouth that killed him he was already wounded twice and that second one may have been a mortal wound in itself. He was hit by a shell fragment that went right through his shoulder. Then he was hit a second time by another shell fragment seconds
later.This one tore into the abdomen and groin. This one is said to expose intestines (He held them in with his hands).

Interesting and informative details.

 

[Sheltowee]

Before being hit by that bullet to the mouth that killed him he was already wounded twice and that second one may have been a mortal wound in itself. He was hit by a shell fragment that went right through his shoulder. Then he was hit a second time by another shell fragment seconds
later.This one tore into the abdomen and groin. This one is said to expose intestines (He held them in with his hands).

Coincidentally, I just read a chapter in "Cain at Gettysburg" (Ralph Peters) which describes his action.
No mention of the shot to the head; but as you said, he describes the horrific abdomen wound- and Cushing's refusal to stand down.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander by Kent Masterson Brown

Kent Brown's stunning account of the career of Lt. Alonzo Hereford Cushing offers valuable insights into the nature of the Civil War and the men who fought it. Brown's vivid descriptions of the heat and exhaustion of forced marches, of the fury of battle, have seldom been matched in Civil War literature.

Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander: Brown, Kent Masterson: 9780813118376: Amazon.com: Books

Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander [Brown, Kent Masterson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander

www.amazon.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[gentlemanrob]

Remembering a brave soldier on his birthday salutes

 

[USS ALASKA]

JOURNAL ARTICLE
"I will give them one more shot!" Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, at the Battle of Gettysburg, 2-3 July 1863
Donald McConnell, Gustav Person
On Point, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Summer 2013), pp. 36-42 (7 pages)
Army Historical Foundation

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26363417

Full article on JSTOR with Google sign-in (In the upper right-hand corner of the linked page, there is a 'Log in' button. If you have a Gmail account, you have a Google sign-in and this will allow for free reading of 100 articles a month).

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[gentlemanrob]

Bump to the top Happy Birthday!