Civil War hero awarded Medal of Honor in White House ceremony 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing and his artillerymen stood amid the smoke and the noises of war, trying to keep their cannons firing, on the most consequential day of the Civil War. It was the third and final day of a bloody fight in the fields and forests of Pennsylvania, what historians would later call the Battle of Gettysburg. Cushing, respected by his men for his cool under fire, commanded the last cannon left firing in his battery. Though he could not see them through the haze of smoke, more than 10,000 Confederate infantrymen stalked toward them, in rows that stretched for a mile. Cushing, who had served with distinction in earlier conflicts in the fractured country, was struck by enemy fire that day but told his men he would continue to fight. He burned his thumb to the bone keeping his cannon firing even as he was wounded in the shoulder and stomach. Finally, with Confederate troops only 100 yards away, he was killed by a shot to the mouth. He was 22. More than a century later, in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, President Obama bestowed the nation's highest military distinction, the Medal of Honor, on the lieutenant as his family members looked on. Obama said: "151 years ago, as our country struggled for its survival, President Lincoln dedicated the battlefield of Gettysburg. Today, the nation that lived pauses to pay tribute to one of those who died there. During a crowded White House ceremony, Obama handed the medal to Helen Loring Ensign, 85, Cushing's cousin twice removed and closest living relative. He was joined by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who helped bring about Cushing's award. "This medal is a reminder that no matter how long it takes, it's never too late to do the right thing," Obama said. Obama credited Cushing's actions for helping to turn the tide of the decisive battle in the Civil War. Many historians regard the Union victory at Gettysburg as a pivotal moment that led to the Confederacy's surrender in 1865. "It was thousands of unknown young soldiers, committing unsung acts of heroism, who saved our union, and freed a people, and reaffirmed our nation as one nation," Obama said. Cushing's award is unusual. Most Medal of Honor recipients must receive their distinction soon after their service, the president said. He credited historian Margaret Zerwekh, who attended the ceremony, for the research and advocacy that resulted in Cushing being honored. Zerwekh first became interested in Cushing when she discovered she lived on a property in Wisconsin owned by Cushing's father. She spent 25 years petitioning on Cushing's behalf, Obama said. Cushing rests in the cemetery at West Point, where his tombstone reads "Faithful Unto Death." Follow Matt at @mtthnsn