George Washington Cutter, one of Kentucky's finest poets, was born in
Massachusetts about 1809, but he early came to Covington, Kentucky, and
entered upon the practice of his profession, the law. He commanded a
company of Kentuckians in the Mexican War with great honor to himself
and to them. He had been a constant contributor of verse to the
periodicals of his time, but he did not publish his first book until
after the war with Mexico. _Buena Vista and Other Poems_ (Cincinnati,
1848) was his first collection, and it contained a preface signed from
Covington, Kentucky, December, 1847. From this it will be seen that
Cutter returned to Kentucky after the war, and that he was living in
this State at the time of his book's appearance. Tradition has said that
he wrote the title-poem, _Buena Vista_, a spirited war ballad, on the
field of action immediately after the battle. His little volume
contained thirty-seven poems, including _The Song of Steam_, which has
been singled out by critics as his masterpiece, an ode to Henry Clay,
his political idol, and his fine descriptive poem, _The Creation of
Woman_. This, to the present writer, is the most exquisite thing Cutter
did in verse. It is highly and consistently poetical, and it should be
better appreciated than it has been. Cutter was married to Mrs. Frances
Ann Drake, a famous Kentucky actress, but they were not happy and a
separation by mutual agreement subsequently followed. Mrs. Cutter was
the widow of Alexander Drake, of the well-known family of that name, and
after parting with the poet she resumed her first husband's name,
returned to the stage, and managed theatres in Kentucky and Ohio until
her death in Oldham county, Kentucky, September 1, 1875. Cutter later
removed to Indiana and was a member of the State legislature, after
which service he removed to Washington City to accept a government
position. In Washington Cutter continued his poetical output, life in
the capital turning his attention to patriotic subjects. _Poems,
National and Patriotic_ (Philadelphia, 1857) proved the author to be,
for the critics of his time, "the most intensely patriotic poet we
have." This volume contained sixty-nine of what he regarded as his best
poems. _The Song of Steam and Other Poems_ also appeared in this same
year of 1857, and it contained one of the poet's finest efforts, _The
Song of the Lightning_. Cutter died at Washington, D. C., December 24,
1865.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. _The Poets and Poetry of the West_, by W. T.
Coggeshall (Columbus, 1860); Adams's _Dictionary of American
Authors_ (Boston, 1905).