Major Archibald Willingham Butt (September 26, 1865 – April 15, 1912) was an influential military aide to U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice Before becoming an aide to Roosevelt, Butt had pursued a career in journalism and served in the Spanish-American War. After a six week vacation in Europe in 1912, he boarded the ocean liner RMS Titanic. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland On the night of April 14 the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank the next morning with Butt being one of the 1,517 victims of the disaster. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater Ice that has broken off from a snow-formed Glacier or Ice shelf and is floating in open water Stories based on anecdotes of his actions while the ship was sinking made him one of the heroes of the disaster.
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Early life
Archibald Willingham Butt was born in Augusta, Georgia to Joshua Willingham Butt and Pamela Robertson. Augusta Georgia is a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. The Butt family was prominent in Augusta, but had suffered financially during the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South His father died when Butt was fourteen years old, and Butt was obliged to go to work to support his mother, sister, and younger brother. Thanks in part to contributions from the pastor of his church, and to his mother, who took a job as the school's librarian, Archibald Butt was able to attend the University of the South in Tennessee, graduating in 1888. The University of the South is a private Coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He was also initiated as a member to the Delta Tau Delta fraternity during his college years. Delta Tau Delta ( ΔΤΔ, DTD or " Delts " is a US -based international college fraternity. Butt began a career in journalism with his first position at the Louisville Courier-Journal and thereafter became a reporter in Washington, D.C. covering the Capitol for several Southern newspapers, including The Atlanta Constitution and the Nashville Banner. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily Newspaper in Atlanta Georgia, USA and its suburbs. The Nashville Banner was a daily newspaper of Nashville Tennessee which ceased publication in 1998 While Butt was working in Washington he became the first secretary for the American Embassy in Mexico with former Senator Matt Ransom. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Matt Whitaker Ransom ( October 8 1826 &ndash October 8, 1904) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American
Military service
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Butt joined the army as a lieutenant. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services He served in the Philippines from 1900 through 1904. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on While he was in the Philippines, he had a part in founding the Military Order of the Carabao, a tongue-in-cheek spoof military fraternal organization still in operation today. Military Order the Carabao is an exclusive social club consisting of members of the U In 1904, he was made Depot Quartermaster of Washington, D.C., where he met then-president Theodore Roosevelt. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T In 1906 he was sent to Cuba to as part of the pacification force. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la In 1908, the now Captain Butt was recalled to Washington to serve as chief military aide to President Theodore Roosevelt. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T When William Howard Taft became President the following year, Butt stayed on in the same capacity. William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice In 1911 Butt was promoted to the rank of Major. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country
By 1912, Taft's first term was coming to an end and Roosevelt was known to be considering a run against him. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Very close to both men and fiercely loyal, Butt was caught in the middle. As his health was deteriorating during this period, his friend Francis Davis Millet asked Taft to give him a leave of absence to recuperate before the presidential primaries began. Francis Davis Millet ( November 3, 1846 - April 15, 1912) was an American painter and Writer who died in The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. Taft agreed and ordered Butt to go on vacation.
During his time serving with two presidents, Butt wrote almost daily letters to his sister-in-law Clara, of Augusta, GA. Augusta Georgia is a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. These letters are prized by modern historians as a key source of information on the more private events of these two presidencies, as well as invaluable insights into the respective characters of Roosevelt and Taft.
Accompanies President Taft to throw out baseball's first pitch
At the 1910 home opener of Major League Baseball's Washington Senators, the sight of the nation's 335-pound chief executive hurling a baseball toward the mound from his seat in American League Park delighted the spectators. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "It was the first time in history," one scribe wrote, "that a President of the United States has opened a game of professional baseball or had attempted to rival the honors of Mathewson, Mordecai Brown, Walter Johnson, et al. Christopher "Christy" Mathewson ( August 12 1880 &ndash October 7 1925) nicknamed "Big Six" "The Christian Gentleman" Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown ( October 19 1876 &ndash February 14 1948) nicknamed "Three Finger" or "Miner" was an Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed "
"TAFT TOSSES BALL," announced The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D "Crowd Cheers President's Fine Delivery of the Sphere. "
The tradition born that afternoon sputtered in the early years. Taft threw out the first ball again in 1911, attending the game with his close friend and military aide Archibald Butt, who had sat with the president in 1910, too. Then four days before the 1912 home opener, while he was returning from Europe -- from a vacation he had taken at Taft's urging -- Butt went down with the Titanic.
"Yesterday the president could not be present for obvious reasons," The Post reported after Opening Day.
Aboard the Titanic
In the early spring of 1912 Butt's health took a turn for the worse; urged to rest by both President Taft, he left on a six-week vacation to Europe. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting He was accompanied for part of his vacation by the American painter Francis Davis Millet. Francis Davis Millet ( November 3, 1846 - April 15, 1912) was an American painter and Writer who died in Butt's only known official work during his vacation was a visit with Pope Pius X, during which he delivered to the pontiff a personal message from Taft. Saint Pius X ( Latin: Pius PP X) ( June 2, 1835 &mdash August 20, 1914) born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the Butt booked passage on the RMS Titanic for his return to the United States. Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland He boarded the Titanic at Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912; his friend Millet boarded the ship at Cherbourg, France later that same day. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Butt was playing cards on the night of April 14 in the first-class smoking room when the Titanic struck an iceberg. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in The ship sank at 2:20 AM the next morning.
Major Butt's actions on board the ship while it was sinking are largely unverified, but many accounts of a typically sensationalist nature were published by newspapers after the disaster. According to some accounts, Titanic captain Edward J. Smith informed Butt that the "ship was doomed" and that "lifeboats were being readied. Captain Edward John Smith, RD, RNR ( 27 January 1850 &ndash 15 April 1912) was the captain of the RMS ''Titanic'' A lifeboat is a small craft carried on a ship to provide a means of emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard the ship " Butt immediately began acting as another officer of the ship, herding women and children into the lifeboats. One account tells of Butt staving off desperate steerage men trying to crowd the boats to escape. Steerage refers to the lowest decks of a Ship. This area of the ship was once used to accommodate passengers traveling on the cheapest class of ticket and offered Walter Lord's book A Night to Remember disagrees with claims that Butt acted like an officer, claiming he was more likely quietly observing the ship's evacuation. Walter Lord ( October 8 1917 – May 19 2002) was an American Author, best known for his documentary-style non-fiction account A Night to Remember is a 1955 non-fiction book by Walter Lord about the sinking of the ocean liner R Butt died during the sinking; his remains, if found, were not identified.
Memorial service
As Archibald Butt's remains were not recovered, a cenotaph was erected in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery. A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War On May 2, 1912, a memorial service was held in the Butt family home with 1,500 mourners, including President Taft, attending. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Taft spoke at the service where he said,
- "If Archie could have selected a time to die he would have chosen the one God gave him. His life was spent in self–sacrifice, serving others. His forgetfulness of self had become a part of his nature. Everybody who knew him called him Archie. I couldn't prepare anything in advance to say here. I tried, but couldn't. He was too near me. He was loyal to my predecessor, Mr. Roosevelt, who selected him to be military aide, and to me he had become as a son or a brother. "
In 1913 The Millet-Butt Memorial Fountain was constructed near the White House in the Ellipse. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence President's Park, located in Washington DC, United States, includes the White House a visitor center Lafayette Park, and The Ellipse In Augusta, Georgia, the Butt Memorial Bridge was dedicated in 1914 by Taft. Augusta Georgia is a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. The Butt Memorial Bridge is a road bridge in Augusta Georgia dedicated to Major Archibald Willingham Butt, a victim of the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
The Washington National Cathedral contains a large plaque dedicated to Major Archibald Butt. It can be found on the wall in the Museum Store.
In fiction
Butt appears and plays a significant role in Jack Finney's time travel novel, From Time to Time. Jack Finney ( October 2, 1911 – November 14, 1995) was an American author From Time to Time is a 1995 illustrated novel by Jack Finney, the sequel to Time and Again, which tells the story of how Simon Morley working on a secret In it, Butt was sent to Europe by President Taft and former President Roosevelt in an effort to stave off World War I. In Europe, he apparently gets the necessary assurances to make a European war impossible. However, even when informed of the ship's approaching sinking by the time travelling protagonist, he refuses to save himself and his mission when women and children will perish. His mission fails with his death.
Notes
- ^ Lynch, Don (1993). Titanic: An Illustrated History. Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-8147-X.
- ^ Rutman, Sharon and Jay Stevenson (1998). The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Titanic. Alpha Books. ISBN 0-02-862712-1.
- ^ Lord, Walter (1955). A Night to Remember. Page 78. Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-27827-4.
- ^ Archibald Willingham Butt: Major, United States Army. Arlington National Cemetery Website. Retrieved on August 7, 2005.
References
- Hustak, Alan, Hermann Söldner, Craig Stringer and Geoff Whitfield. Major Archibald Willingham Butt. Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved on August 7, 2005.
External links
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