Three Wisconsin Cushings: A sketch of the lives of Howard B., Alonzo H. and William B. Cushing, children of a pioneer family of Waukesha County

In Short

Theron Wilber Haight presents a biographical chronicle of three brothers—Howard, Alonzo, and William Cushing—who rose from an impoverished pioneer upbringing in Wisconsin to perform extraordinary acts of military valor. Spanning the mid-nineteenth century, the book follows their migrations across the young United States, their training, and their distinct roles during the Civil War and the Southwestern border conflicts. Haight captures their brief, intensely dramatic lives through official records, personal letters, and contemporary testimonials, documenting how a single family produced heroes of the army, navy, and cavalry whose sacrifices helped shape the nation.

The Story

The narrative opens with a historical overview of the post-Revolutionary New England exodus, driven by economic distress and worthless Continental currency. Among those moving west is Zattu Cushing, whose descendants eventually push into the frontier territory of Wisconsin in the late 1830s. Settling near Milwaukee and later in the township of Nemahbin, the Cushing family endures severe frontier hardships. Following the premature death of the family patriarch, the widowed mother carries the heavy burden of raising her young children, moving them between Chicago and New York state whileinstilling in them a deep sense of duty and resilience.

As the boys mature, each carves out an early path toward independence. Howard works as a printer's apprentice, moving between Boston, Chicago, and Fredonia. Meanwhile, family connections help place William as a congressional page and later as a cadet at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, while Alonzo secures an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. When the Civil War breaks out in 1861, all three brothers promptly enter active military service, quickly distinguishing themselves through exceptional courage and tactical skill.

Alonzo steps into the conflict as a regular artillery officer in the Army of the Potomac. Moving through major campaigns including the Seven Days, Antietam, and Fredericksburg, he earns a reputation as an ideal soldier known for his steady discipline and cheer under fire. His story reaches its climax at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. Wounded and facing Pickett’s charge, Alonzo refuses to leave his post, pushing his remaining gun to the stone wall to fire final charges of canister directly into the advancing Confederate lines before being mortally shot.

William's narrative follows a parallel track of extraordinary naval daring. Operating along the Carolina coasts and inlets, he carries out hazardous blockading duty, river raids, and shore bombardments. His most famous achievement occurs in 1864, when he plans and executes a daring night attack to sink the Confederate ironclad ram Albemarle using a torpedo launch. Surmounting defensive booms and heavy fire, William destroys the ironclad, escapes into the river, and earns the formal thanks of Congress along with a promotion to lieutenant-commander. He continues his perilous service through the bloody assaults on Fort Fisher.

The youngest soldier, Howard, serves initially in an Illinois volunteer artillery regiment during the war, eventually earning a commission in the regular artillery. Seeking further active duty after the Civil War, he transfers to the 3rd U.S. Cavalry in 1867 and is stationed on the Southwestern frontier. There, he becomes a relentless commander in the campaigns against Apaches in Arizona. Like his brother Alonzo, Howard's life is cut short on the battlefield when he is killed in action during an Indian ambush, leaving William to mourn the loss of his brothers before his own early death in 1874.

How It Unfolds

The frontier migration The narrative begins with the post-Revolutionary Yankee exodus from Massachusetts into Western New York, leading to the Cushing family's eventual settlement in the swamps and forests of pioneer Wisconsin during the late 1830s.

A mother's struggle Following the early decline and death of the father, the matriarch assumes full responsibility for the family, enduring severe economic privations while moving her children between Chicago, New York, and New England to secure their educations and trades.

Call to arms With the outbreak of the Civil War, the brothers enter the armed forces: Howard joins the volunteer artillery, Alonzo graduates from West Point into the regular artillery, and William enters active naval duty on the Southern blockades.

Alonzo at Gettysburg Alonzo serves with high distinction in the Army of the Potomac, culminating in his defense of Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, where he remains with his shattered battery under intense fire until killed at his guns.

William and the Albemarle William carries out a series of daring coastal and river raids, highlighted by his 1864 night expedition where he successfully torpedoes and sinks the ironclad Albemarle, earning national renown and congressional promotion.

Howard on the border After the Civil War, Howard transfers to the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, earning a reputation as an extraordinarily bold Indian fighter in Arizona before falling in action against the Apaches.

The People

• Alonzo H. Cushing: A West Point graduate and regular artillery lieutenant who wants nothing more than to perform his military duty with absolute precision and devotion. Undeterred by severe wounds or overwhelming odds, he remains at his post on Cemetery Ridge until his death, leaving a reputation as an ideal soldier.
• William B. Cushing: An ambitious, daring naval officer driven by a desire for independent, high-risk command. He repeatedly seeks out hazardous assignments along enemy coastlines, facing ironclads and heavy shore batteries, and ultimately survives the war to achieve high naval rank.
• Howard B. Cushing: An independent, restless youth who transitions from a newspaper typesetter to a volunteer gunner, and finally to a cavalry lieutenant. Driven to excel in active service, he seeks out frontier combat in Arizona, where his fearless leadership makes him famous along the border prior to his fatal ambush.
• Mrs. Cushing (Mother): The resilient pioneer matriarch who struggles against poverty and early widowhood to raise and guide her sons. Bound by deep maternal devotion, she instills in them the high moral principles and fortitude that define their adult lives.

In Its Own Voice

"I have no gold, my darling son, / No wealth to leave to thee-- / Yet never light hath shone upon / A richer, costlier, holier one / Than this my legacy..."

Context: Written in her Bible by Mrs. Cushing in August 1838 while living in a forlorn Wisconsin settlement, expressing her maternal devotion and faith amid frontier hardships.

"...he was killed while serving his last canister into the ranks of the advancing enemy."

Context: Colonel Hall's official brigade report describing Alonzo Cushing's final moments at Cemetery Ridge during the height of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg.

"Dear old fellow--we must be doubly loving and attentive to little Ma now. Write often to her. One thing is certain of her Sons; they can not be beaten. You can kill but not conquer them."

Context: Extract from a heartfelt letter written by William B. Cushing to his surviving brother after learning of Alonzo's heroic death on the battlefield.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book examines the nature of quiet duty and extreme self-sacrifice within a single American family forged by frontier conditions. Haight uses the Cushing brothers to explore how inherited pioneer fortitude translates into military valor under the stress of total war. The text sets personal devotion to family and country against the immense destruction of the Civil War and border campaigns. It raises questions about how a nation remembers its defenders, contrasting the heroic deaths of young officers with the cold reality of post-war neglect and faulty pension systems. Ultimately, it argues that national endurance relies entirely on the unyielding stamina of such individuals.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers of military history, Civil War biography, and nineteenth-century American frontier studies. Haight writes with clear, direct prose that avoids modern romantic embellishments, relying instead on primary documents, official dispatches, and intimate family letters to drive the narrative. Readers will encounter period-specific military terminology, historical place names, and brief administrative digressions, along with occasional nineteenth-century poetic sentimentality. What remains striking is the sheer concentration of dramatic action centered around three brothers from one family. It offers a grounded, deeply human perspective on conflict, presenting an unvarnished portrait of young men meeting extraordinary demands with quiet, unshakeable resolve.