Alonzo Cushing

July 3, 1863 – Union Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing refused to abandon his artillery despite being wounded multiple times.

This often-overlooked act of heroism took place during the most intense moments of the Battle of Gettysburg. As waves of Confederate soldiers surged forward during Pickett's Charge, Cushing had already been shot in the shoulder, abdomen, and groin. Barely able to stand, he remained at his post and ordered one final point-blank volley. That devastating blast helped shatter the Confederate assault. It was also Cushing’s last stand. He died from a final gunshot wound to the head.

More than 150 years later, in 2014, Cushing was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. Helen Bird Loring Ensign, a first cousin twice removed, accepted the medal on Cushing's behalf, as Cushing left no direct descendants.