| George W. Cutter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1849 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Landsman |
| Unit | USS Powhatan |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
George W. Cutter (born 1849, date of death unknown) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1849, Cutter joined the Navy from that state.[1] By May 27, 1872, he was serving as a landsman on the USS Powhatan. On that day, while the ship was at Norfolk, Virginia, Seaman James Mitchell fell from Powhatan's rigging and landed in the water; he was rendered helpless in the fall. Cutter and two others, Second Assistant Engineer George Cowie and Ordinary Seaman Henry Couch, jumped overboard and saved Mitchell from drowning.[2] For this action, Cutter was awarded the Medal of Honor a month and a half later, on July 9.[1]
Cutter's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
On board the U.S.S. Powhatan, Norfolk, Va., 27 May 1872. Jumping overboard on this date, Cutter aided in saving one of the crew of that vessel from drowning.[1]