Archibald Butt: The Presidential Aide Whose Life Ended on the Titanic

 

Archibald Butt: The Presidential Aide Whose Life Ended on the Titanic

I have been learning about another of the people who were on board the Titanic, and today I wanted to tell you about Archibald Butt.

In 1895, he became First Secretary at the American embassy in Mexico. But was drawn by family tradition to the military. He joined the army during the Spanish-American War. He served as a quartermaster officer and was sent to the Philippines. He then went on to work in Cuba.

By 1908, he was working in the White House, under Theodore Roosevelt as his military aide. He continued in the same role under William Howard Taft. He helped manage official events, and advised them on important matters. He was unfortunately caught between Roosevelt and Taft when their friendship broke down. Which must have been rather upsetting.

In 1912, he took some time and travelled to Europe for some much needed rest. On the 10th of April 1912, he boarded the Titanic to return home. When the ship sank in the early hours of the 15th of April, Archibald Butt was among those who tragically died. Many  stories were later told about his final actions, but not all can be confirmed. What is clear is that his death caused real grief, especially for Taft.

Do you think people like Archibald Butt are often remembered too much for the way they died, and not enough for the life they lived before it?

Part 3: Scipio Takes the War to Africa and Confronts Hannibal

Part 3: Scipio Takes the War to Africa and Confronts Hannibal

I have been find out about Scipio Africanus and today I want to look at his decision to carry the war to Carthage. By 205 BC, he had been elected consul, even though he was still only young. 

He requested to command in Africa, and he was eventually able to cross into Africa in 204 BC.  His first attack was near Utica, where he used clever deception techniques, he pretended to negotiate while he secretly planned a night assault. The attack destroyed enemy camps. This completely shocked the Carthaginian forces. Not long after, Roman forces defeated their opponents again, and Scipio captured the Numidian king Syphax, restoring the throne to Massinissa. This alliance proved to be important, especially because Numidian cavalry would later tip the balance in his favour.

Carthage reacted by recalling Hannibal from Italy. The stage was set for a final confrontation. Peace talks did followed, but the tension and mistrust could not be restored. Meanwhile, political rivals in Rome attempted to replace Scipio and claim the final victory. He refused to surrender command, he was determined to finish what he had started.

In 202 BC, Hannibal and Scipio finally met. It was at the Battle of Zama and with the support of Massinissa’s cavalry, Scipio defeated Hannibal. 

Peace was eventually achieved in 201 BC. Carthage was forced to completely disarm, to pay indemnities, and to seek Roman permission before any future wars. The long struggle had finally come to an end. When Scipio returned to Rome, he was celebrated and received the name “Africanus.” He gave out rewards to his soldiers and deposited vast wealth into the treasury. His fame grew rapidly, and stories even began portraying him as favoured by the gods.

But as always admiration also brought with it jealousy. Some aristocrats were still quite worried about his power and influence, and they continued to oppose him despite his huge success. It feels like his victory changed not only the war, but his place in Roman politics- raising his rank but also isolating him.

Do you think Scipio’s greatest strength was his boldness, or was it his ability to inspire loyalty when others doubted him?

Image info:

Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Title: Scipio Africanus Freeing Massiva

Date: 1719 – 1721

Collection: Walters Art Museum

Laurence Allen Abercrombie: The American Admiral Awarded Three Navy Crosses Over Two World Wars.

Laurence Allen Abercrombie: The American Admiral Awarded Three Navy Crosses Over Two World Wars.

I have been learning about the people who served in the World Wars, and I wanted to tell you a little bit about Laurence Allen Abercrombie.

He was born on the 11th of October 1897 in Lawrence in Massachusetts. He joined the United States Naval Academy in 1917, during the First World War. He served as a midshipman on board several battleships, before he graduated and got commissioned in 1920.

During the interwar years, Abercrombie served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, taking on various roles. He spent time in the Asiatic Fleet, taught French at the Naval Academy and even studied in France, he even became a qualified interpreter. By the late 1930s, he had become a skilled officer, serving on board major warships including the USS Arizona.

As the Second World War approached, he was given command of the destroyer USS Drayton in March 1941. When the attack on Pearl Harbor took place on the 7th of December 1941, his ship was at sea so avoided being destroyed Later that month, he led the sinking of an enemy vessel, earning him the Navy Cross, the United States’ second-highest award for bravery.

During the war, he commanded destroyer forces in the Pacific, including actions near the Gilbert Islands and in the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal. His led successful attacks on enemy ships and defence against air assaults, which earned him two additional Navy Cross awards, marked by gold stars.

He went on to work in naval intelligence and with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he commanded the cruiser USS Chester toward the end of the war. Following the conflict, he continued serving in senior administrative roles until retiring on the 30th of June 1951. When he retired, he was promoted to rear admiral, honouring a man who served in both the First and Second World Wars, and with exceptional bravery.

Jacques Futrelle: The Titanic Writer Who Chose His Wife’s Survival Over His Own

Jacques Futrelle: The Titanic Writer Who Chose His Wife’s Survival Over His Own

I have been learning about some of the people on board Titanic. So let me tell you about Jacques Futrelle

He was born on the 9th of April 1875 in Georgia. He found his way into newspapers, working in cities like Atlanta, New York, and Boston. It was here that he invented his creation of Professor Van Dusen, “The Thinking Machine,” a character built on logic and reason. 

In 1895, he married Lily May Futrelle, and he had children. By 1906, he left journalism to focus fully on writing, settling by the sea.

In April 1912, he was returning home aboard the RMS Titanic. When as we know disaster struck. He refused a place in a lifeboat, but he ensured his wife’s safety instead. 

When faced with the unimaginable, would we act with the same clarity and selflessness?

Scipio Africanus: Part 2: Gamble in Hispania and the Fall of Carthaginian Power.

Scipio Africanus: Part 2: Gamble in Hispania and the Fall of Carthaginian Power.

We have been finding out about Scipio Africanus, so today I want to find out about his connection to the Second Punic War.

By 211 BC, Rome’s position in Spain had collapsed. Publius Cornelius Scipio, his father and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, his uncle, had both been killed after dividing their forces, this had left Roman control in chaos.

Commanders like Hasdrubal Barca and his allies had regained the advantage.

In 210 BC, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, had never held high office, he was still young. But he was given command. 

In 209 BC, he made an unexpected move. Instead of chasing armies, he struck them directly at Qart-Hadast, the heart of Carthaginian power in Hispania. Making a daring assault across a lagoon at low tide, he managed to capture the city. The aftermath was brutal, him and his troops showed very little mercy at first, perhaps this was meant to shock others into submission. But Scipio quickly changed his approach, he offered protection and was even generous to local hostages. This change from brutality to clemency, seems rather calculated, he may well have been trying to win loyalty as well as gain a victory.

The following year, he faced Hasdrubal, a key Carthaginian commander, near Baecula. Though he was won, he could not capture Hasdrubal, he had escaped to Italy. But momentum had clearly shifted in his favour. By 206 BC, at the Battle of Ilipa, Scipio completely destroyed the remaining Carthaginian resistance. Many towns fell, some put up fierce resistance. While others simply surrendered, but some choose tragic ends rather than being capture. 

Alliances were everything. Scipio had support from people like Massinissa, who was a Numidian king. This alliance would prove crucial. Gradually though, Carthaginian power in Spain had begun to crumble, and even Gades, the city that had served as a major port, trade hub, and naval stronghold, surrendered.

Do you think Scipio was motivated by ambition, by duty, or by the pressure of living up to the family that had fallen before him?

Image info:

Date: 1666 – 1671

Josephine Beatrice Bowman: The Navy Nurse Who Helped Lead Women Into Military Service

Josephine Beatrice Bowman: The Navy Nurse Who Helped Lead Women Into Military Service

I have been learning about the people who served in the wars. I came across Josephine Beatrice Bowman.

She was born on the 19th of December 1881 in Des Moines in Iowa. At a time when professional opportunities for women were still very limited, she trained as a nurse at the Medico-Chirurgical Hospital in Philadelphia and graduated in 1904. She joined the American Red Cross Nursing Service, and assisted victims of a devastating tornado in Mississippi in 1908.

Later that year, on the 3rd of October 1908, she became one of the first twenty women to join the newly formed United States Navy Nurse Corps, often remembered as part of the “Sacred Twenty.” She was promoted to Chief Nurse by 1911. In 1914, she temporarily left the Navy to serve with the Red Cross in Great Britain during the beginning of the First World War. She cared for wounded soldiers at the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar. She returned to the naval service in 1915.

By 1916, she was stationed in Guam, where she helped to train local Chamorro women in nursing and midwifery. When the United States entered the First World War, she served as Chief Nurse at the Naval Hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois, overseeing the staff during both the war and the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919. She later worked at a naval tuberculosis sanitarium in Colorado, continuing to care for those affected by long-term illness.

In 1919, she led the first group of Navy nurses to serve at sea aboard the hospital ship USS Relief, this was a huge moment for women in naval service. In 1922, she became superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps, a role that she held for over twelve years. During this time, she worked to improve pay, conditions, and professional opportunities for nurses, while also pushing for recognition.

Although she did not receive specific named medals for her service, her contributions were formally recognised when she was granted the rank of lieutenant commander when she retired in 1935. She spent her later years in Pennsylvania, remaining active in nursing circles until her death on the 3rd of January 1971 at the age of 89. 

Lucile Carter: The Society Woman Who Took an Oar and Rowed for Survival

Lucile Carter: The Society Woman Who Took an Oar and Rowed for Survival

I have been learning about some of the people who were aboard the Titanic. I want to tell you about Lucile Carter.

She was born on the 8th of October 1875 in Baltimore, into a well-connected and comfortable family. By her teenage years she was already appearing in society pages. 

In 1896, she married William Ernest Carter, who was the heir to a large coal fortune. She became known for her bold fashion and her adventurous spirit, she took part in activities that were unusual for women of the time.  She rode astride a horse and drove a carriage through busy streets. 

By the early 1900s, the family were dividing their time between Europe and America. In April 1912, they boarded the RMS Titanic with their children and servants.

When the ship hit an iceberg on the 14th of April 1912, Lucile was luck to be able to get herself in a lifeboat with her children. There was not enough crew to manage the boat, so she took an oar and began to row. What an  image, a woman from high society, forced into action, not out of expectation but necessity. Later, she was recognised as one of the women who helped row the lifeboats to safety.

In 1914, she divorced her husband, and later accounts suggested that their marriage was not happy. It makes me wonder how the events of that night may have changed her perspective.

That same year, she remarried George Brooke Jr., and although the years that followed brought house fires and the disruptions of war. But they seemed happy and they had a daughter together.

She died on the 26th of October 1934 at the age of 59. 

What do you think defines courage, the actions we take in crisis, or the choices we make afterwards?