Alonzo Cushing was killed on July 3, 1863, during Pickett's Charge on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg. he was just 22. The West Point graduate was commanding Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery and defending Cemetery Ridge against Pickett's Charge.
He commanded six cannons and 110 men.
They had endured hours of bombardment from Southern artillery paving the way for the charge. Alonzo had already been wounded in the shoulder and groin and he was down to just one gun which lacked long-range shells.
But, yet he stayed by his post as the Confederates advanced on his position. As they neared, he was dead within minutes, shot in the head. Several soldiers with him received the Medal of Honor and it is not clear why he didn't get one as well.
Of the 3,463 Medals of Honor awarded in its history, 1,500 went to Civil War military, according to the Department of Defense. Of course, the Medal of Honor was initiated in the Civil War and standards for receiving it were not as tightly confined as they are today.
--Old Secesh
No comments:
Post a Comment