GETTYSBURG, Pa. (June 24, 2026) — First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing’s Medal of Honor will be on exhibit at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center July 1–5, 2026. This rare display coincides with the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, offers visitors a unique opportunity to reflect on Cushing's sacrifice where it occurred and provides them with the opportunity to view the nation’s highest military decoration awarded to one of Gettysburg’s most recognized Union officers.
Born on Jan. 19, 1841, in Delafield, Wisconsin, and raised in Fredonia, New York, Cushing entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1857 and graduated with the Class of 1861. After graduating, Cushing was commissioned as a First Lieutenant. During the Chancellorsville Campaign (May 1863), he assumed command of Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, serving with the Army of the Potomac’s II Corps.
At Gettysburg, Cushing and his battery of six 3-inch Ordnance rifles took position with General Alexander S. Webb's brigade on July 2, 1863. They were engaged throughout the day and again on July 3 as Confederate forces opened a two-hour artillery bombardment that preceded the assault known as Pickett's Charge. Wounded twice during the cannonade, Cushing refused to leave the field and continued to direct his battery until only two guns remained in action. As Confederate infantry closed on the "Angle," he was mortally wounded while bravely holding his position.
For more than three decades, Margaret Zerwekh of Delafield, Wisconsin, advocated for Cushing to receive the Medal of Honor. Finally, on Nov. 6, 2014, his closest living relative, Helen Loring Ensign, accepted the Medal of Honor on his behalf from President Barack Obama. Cushing’s Medal of Honor is now part of Gettysburg National Military Park’s collection, cared for by curators at Gettysburg National Military Park.
Cushing's citation reflects the same devotion expressed in the words inscribed on his headstone at West Point: "Faithful unto Death."
Visitors can see Cushing's Medal of Honor on display, free of charge, July 1–5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the rotunda of the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, located at 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. To plan your visit to Gettysburg and learn more about Gettysburg Foundation, visit our website at GettysburgFoundation.org.