Heroic Brothers of the Civil War

When the United States found itself embroiled in the Civil War, it brought out the best in many Americans while at times pitting brother against brother. For the Cushings of Wisconsin and then New York, their allegiance was never in doubt. After the death of her husband, Mary Cushing raised five children on her own. When the war broke out, all four of her sons served the Union in some capacity, and it was the two youngest ones—Alonzo and Willam—who left their individual and indelible marks on the outcome of that national conflagration. Bill Cushing, named in honor of the younger of the two brothers, now presents their military exploits in a book that narrates their lives and sacrifice.

Rod Dodsworth, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, notes, “In an age when boys became men, young Lon’s heroism, leadership and bloody death were part of a larger struggle that won the day for the Union at Gettysburg. Brother William Cushing pulled off improbable victories. His caper against the CSS Albemarle will warm the heart of readers familiar with Captain Thomas Cochrane and Admiral Horatio Nelson of the Royal Navy.” Author and Civil War educator Paul Lloyd Hemphill promises that readers of this book will “get a truly inspirational, well-written, and easy read that uses two true stories to illustrate the values of commitment, persistence, creativity, and imagination.”

Heroic Brothers in the Civil War was honored in 2024 with a Literary Global Book Award in the category of non-fiction history. Bill lived in several states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico before moving to California where he lives with his wife and their son. He was nicknamed the “blue collar writer” by peers as an undergraduate due to his experience both in and after the Navy as a shipboard electrician. He earned an MFA in writing from Goddard College in Vermont and is now retired after over 20 years teaching at East Los Angeles and Mt. San Antonio colleges.