Cadet A. H. Cushing

Federal (USA)

Lieutenant

Alonzo Hereford Cushing

"Lon"

(1841 - 1863)

Home State: New York

Education: US Military Academy, West Point, NY, Class of 1861;Class Rank: 12th

Command Billet: Aide to General Commanding

Branch of Service: Artillery

Unit: Army of the Potomac

Before Antietam

After graduating from West Point in the June Class of 1861, he was commissioned 2nd and 1st Lt, 4th US Artillery. He was temporarily with Battery G, 2nd US at 1st Manassas (1861).

On the Campaign

He was serving on Gen. McClellan's AoP staff as aide at Antietam, and accompanied II Corps Artillery to the West Woods on the 17th.

The rest of the War

He was killed while in command of Battery A, 4th US, at the Angle at Gettysburg - defending at "Picket's Charge" on the third day of fighting there.

While defending Cemetery Ridge from the oncoming Rebels, Cushing was shot in the arm, and then moments later, a shell fragment tore into his groin. While in great pain, Cushing stayed with his command. With those men under his command still left alive, Cushing kept the last two working guns of his battery firing. This all in the face off an enemy coming over a stonewall at a spot on the battlefield called "The Angle". As Cushing was getting set to give a command of "fire", he was struck in the mouth by a minie ball and killed instantly.

He was posthumously honored by brevet to Lieutenant Colonel, USA.

After the War

For his actions at Gettysburg, Lieutenant Cushing was awarded the Medal of Honor on 6 November 2014.

References & notes

Source: Heitman, Francis Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903, Washington, US Government Printing Office, 1903.

Mr Frassanito has suggested, I think rightly, that LT Cushing is present in some Gardner photographs taken after the battle of groups of officers of the 4th Artillery.