Rhett Butler (1827-1889) was a wealthy American blockade runner, gambler, and businessman who rose to prominence during and after the American Civil War. Hw would briefly become a captain in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Butler had a tumultuous relationship with Scarlett O’Hara of Tara (Plantation), his exploits in wartime profiteering, and his influence within both Southern aristocracy and underground trade. Though denounced by Charleston society for his expulsion from West Point and irreverent manners, he amassed a substantial fortune. He was the third husband of Scarlett O'Hara.
Biography[]
Rhett Butler was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1827 to Steven Langston and Eleanor Elizabeth Butler, of the Southern Planter Class. His relationship with his father, Langston, was strained from a young age. He resisted his father's expectations and retreating into the slave quarters, where he befriended Will, a young enslaved boy. A formative childhood moment occurred when Will was whipped by a white overseer; an event Rhett was powerless to stop.
As a young man, Rhett was expelled from West Point for misconduct and soon gained notoriety as a “black sheep” unwelcome in polite society. He departed home and traveled west, amassing a fortune during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Butler later became a successful trader and blockade runner, acquiring considerable wealth, although he solidified his reputation for being cynical and socially disreputable. He was notably outspoken in predicting a Union victory in the American Civil War, arguing that the South had little more than cotton, enslaved labor, and arrogance, while the Union had superior industry and manpower.
In 1861, his reputation preceded him at events such as the Twelve Oaks barbecue, where he first encountered Scarlett O’Hara, a headstrong Georgia belle, and Melanie Hamilton during Melanie's engagement celebration. He would be reacquainted with O'Hara in 1862, but their introduction, marked by his overhearing her rejected confession of love to Ashley Wilkes, soured Scarlett’s opinion of him.
During the early years of the Civil War, Butler operated as a blockade runner, smuggling goods into the Confederacy and growing enormously wealthy. While the Southern elite scorned him, they also relied on him. He refused military service until late in the war, claiming no allegiance to lost causes. However, following the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, Butler enlisted in the Confederate States Army. Despite his moral ambiguity, Butler demonstrated moments of courage and shrewd loyalty, notably saving Southern men from Yankee prosecution through manipulation of his Northern contacts.
Marriage to Scarlett O’Hara[]
After the death of her second husband, Frank Kennedy, Rhett proposed, offering fun, money, and mutual disdain for convention. Scarlett accepted primarily for financial security. Rhett hoped love would follow but masked his affections behind sardonic teasing and cold detachment. Their marriage became volatile, often cruel, and was marked by power struggles, mistrust, and jealousy, particularly over Scarlett’s lingering attachment to Ashley Wilkes.
Butler maintained a respectful and loyal friendship with Melanie Hamilton, contrasting sharply with his tumultuous relationship with Scarlett. His esteem for Melanie influenced several of his decisions during and after the war.
The only warmth Rhett unreservedly gave was to their daughter, Eugenie Victoria "Bonnie Blue" Butler. The spent three months together in London, England, during which her tragic death in a riding accident broke Rhett irrevocably. On his return, he discovered that O'Hara had become pregnant, but she would shortly suffer a miscarriage during an argument; having fallen down the stairs.
An incident occurred during which Butler, while intoxicated, forced himself upon Scarlett, which is widely interpreted as marital rape. He later expressed remorse and offered a divorce, which she refused. The death of Melanie Wilkes further contributed to the severing of their final ties. Believing Scarlett would now pursue Ashley, Rhett left her, returning to his Atlanta, Georgia estate.
Scarlett later visited Charleston in an attempt to charm Rhett’s mother and rekindle their bond. During a stormy sail, their boat capsizes and they find shelter on an island, where passion rekindles in a cave. Rhett confesses his love but fears surrendering to it. Back home, he leaves Scarlett gravely ill with a farewell letter, praising her courage but vowing never to return.
Later Years and Exile[]
Following their separation, Scarlett discovered she was pregnant with Rhett’s child. She kept the pregnancy secret and relocated to Ireland, where she purchased Ballyhara, once an ancestral O’Hara estate. There, she gave birth to a daughter, Katie “Cat” Colum O’Hara, named in part for her cousin, Father Colum O'Hara, who brought her to Ireland. Scarlett thrived as matriarch and landowner, though she remained emotionally tethered to Rhett.
Butler, unaware of Cat’s existence, married Anne Hampton, a woman who reminded him of of Melanie. When Anne died in childbirth, Rhett resumed contact with Scarlett under tumultuous circumstances. After a political assassination and the burning of Ballyhara, Rhett rescued Scarlett and Cat. Trapped in a tower overnight during the uprising, Rhett and Scarlett reconciled, and he learned of his daughter’s existence.
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