Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years are only a few days away. We’re thinking about the importance of these holidays, friends and family, Christmas trees, menorahs, carols and dreidels. One of the wonderful things of the holidays is the food. My aunt made a fantastic stolen. My grandmother made amazing cucidati cookies. A dear friend’s ruggala was delicious. Two of my uncles had a competition to see who would make the best eggnog, but eventually they agreed that the best eggnog ever came from one my old, tattered book (you know me and my ancient books) called Taft and Roosevelt: The Intimate Life of Archie Butt. So who was Archie Butt and exactly how did he make his eggnog?

Archie Butt (aka Archibald Willingham DeGraffe Clarendon Butt) was born in Augusta, GA, on September 26, 1865, the middle of five children. He went to the University of the South at Sewanee where he became Editor the college newspaper. He graduated in 1888 and moved to Louisville, KY, where he worked for the Louisville Courier-Journal for three years, and then wrote for the Macon Telegraph. The Telegraph sent him to Washington, D.C., where he wrote for the Atlanta Constitution, Augusta Chronicle, Nashville Banner, and Sewenee Morning News. Everywhere he went, Butt made friends easily. One of them was former Senator Matthew Ransom who became U.S. Minister to Mexico in August 1895. He promptly made Archie his 1st Secretary. Butt worked with Ransom for the next two years, returning to Washington when Ransom resigned.

When the U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana harbor on the night of February 15, 1898, Butt used his numerous contacts to receive a commission as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Volunteers at the start of the Spanish-American War. He became Assistant Quartermaster and ended up—with 500 mules in tow—in the Philippines. He was discharged in June 1901, but he’d found his true calling and managed to receive a commission as a Captain in the regular U.S. Army. He returned to Washington in 1904 and became the Depot Quartermaster there. In 1906 he sailed to Havana where he served as the U.S. Depot Quartermaster during the revolt against Tomas Estrada Palma, but was back in DC in March 1908.

Teddy Roosevelt had known Butt in Washington before he went to Havana, and upon his return, asked him to serve as the President’s military aide-de-camp (ADC). He knew that Butt would do a excellent job of keeping TR on track. Besides, Archie was one of the men who could keep up with the President as he hiked, swam, rode his horses and played tennis with gusto. Butt was only in the White House for a year when William Howard Taft became president, but Taft asked Butt to stay on as ADC. Butt continued to do an outstanding job for Taft—though Taft was not interested in the same “strenuous life” as Roosevelt!! And that brings us to New Year’s Day, 1910.

Early that afternoon Butt, as the Taft’s aide-de-camp, attended a New Year’s reception for about 5,500 people. As soon as that was over, Butt raced home to get ready for an “eggnog party” for his own friends. It was a good think that he had a large house because his 50 invited guests ended up being 300 people!! In a letter to his sister, Clara, he told her that he’d used their mother’s recipe, reminding here that it was so stiff you couldn’t drink it, but had to eat it with a spoon.😳 Apparently it was a great success because he told Clara that not a drop was left over.

In honor of the season, I’ve included the actual recipe that Butt included to his sister. I wish you all the very best of holidays!!

From Taft and Roosevelt: The Intimate Letters of Archie Butt, Military Aide (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Co., 1930), Vol. 1, page 248. For one dozen eggs, use one quart double thick cream, nearly one quart of whisky and two tablespoons of Jamaican rum. Beat the yolks to a cream, add a dessert spoon of sugar to each egg, and whip again. Then add whisky and rum slowly. The cream should be whipped very stiff, and so should the whites of the eggs. When mixed it will remain indefinitely without separating.

(Sadly, Major Butt died on the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.)