Francis Brockholst Cutting (August 6, 1804 – June 26, 1870) was an American lawyer and businessman who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1853 to 1855.

[1] As a lawyer, he argued on behalf of Horace Day against Daniel Webster, for Charles Goodyear, in The Great India Rubber Case in 1852.

[14][15] In 1853, President Pierce gave copies of his inaugural address to Cutting, rather than the Postmaster, fearing the latter and trusting the former.

Under code duello, the individual being challenged retained the right to name the weapons used and the distance between the combatants; Breckinridge chose rifles at 60 paces.

[19] Breckinridge later was selected as the nominee for Vice President of the United States,[20] and the duel was the only memorable thing he had done up that point.

[1][22] Upon the nomination of Abraham Lincoln, Cutting aided in his election campaign, and was active in supporting the Union.

[7] On May 28, 1861, Cutting wrote to then President Lincoln advising him that "impressions beneficial to our country will be produced by continuing to communicate with Europe, thro' the medium of the Mssrs.

"[23] Cutting revealed to Lincoln that in order to assist the North in winning the Civil War, they needed the help, and money, from Europe and couldn't ignore the British and French, who were reliant on Southern Cotton.

Through social connections, Cutting knew that the elder Baron James Mayer de Rothschild supported the Union over the financial objections of his younger son, Salomon James de Rothschild, who favored the South and disliked Lincoln.