Obama awards Medal of Honor: What a good day to honor a UNION Civil War soldier

[flamingdem]

Just sayin'

Sometimes it seems like we're still fighting that war in this country.

Why a Civil War soldier will get the Medal of Honor — 151 years after his death

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/11/05/why-a-civil-war-soldier-will-get-the-medal-of-honor-151-years-after-his-death/



First Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing was bleeding profusely from wounds to his abdomen and shoulder as thousands of Confederate infantrymen advanced on his artillery battery in the Battle of Gettysburg. At least one of his soldiers begged him to seek medical treatment, but he refused. He stayed on the battlefield another 90 minutes while under attack, ordering his men to keep firing their three-inch cannons right up until the moment that he was killed with a gunshot to the head.
First Lt. Along H. Cushing, 22, was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg in the face of a fierce assault by Confederate forces. He will receive the Medal of Honor on Thursday for standing his ground, even though he already had been wounded in the soldier and abdomen. (U.S. Army photo)
First Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing, 22, was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg in the face of a fierce assault by Confederate forces. He will receive the Medal of Honor on Thursday for standing his ground, even though he already had been wounded in the shoulder and abdomen. (U.S. Army photo)

The Union Army’s ability to stop that assault by at least 13,000 soldiers — known as Pickett’s Charge, after a Confederate general who led rebel troops taking part in it — is a key part of the Civil War’s most iconic battle. But the heroism of Cushing, 22, on July 3, 1863, was not honored with the nation’s highest award for combat valor, even though 63 other Union soldiers received the prestigious decoration.

U.S. officials will rectify that Thursday.

President Obama is scheduled to award the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony to descendants of the Cushing family, more than 151 years after the battle. They’ve passed his story down for generations with pride, but had not considered it possible that Cushing would receive the award, they said.

“His whole family was a very brave family,” said Jessica Loring, who is Cushing’s first cousin, three generations removed. “His mother would say, ‘Death before dishonor’ when she sent her sons off to war, and three of them died very young.”

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. I think that war just ended 11/4/14.

The Southern economy won.

[hfojvt]

2. born in Milwaukee in 1841

grandson of a judge from Chautauqua County, NY. His father Dr. Milton Buckingham Cushing died when Alonzo was six, at the age of 47.

His mother, Mary Barker Smith (1807-1891) apparently never remarried, she is shown with 5 children, ages 13 to 4 in the 1850 census in Pomfret, Chautauqua, NY. In 1860 only the youngest, Mary was living with her. She is listed as a school teacher. Alonzo was attending West Point.

[Enrique]

3. just like Obama to take sides

[flamingdem]

4. Good one Enrique

heh