The Angel of the Battlefield
Clara Barton, a woman commonly known for her assistance throughout the Civil War, was born in Massachusetts in 1821. Although her true calling had always been a nurse, Barton started her early work years as a public school teacher, even opening a free school that was available to everyone.
By 1854, Clara Barton had moved to Washington D.C., back North in 1857 due to her anti-slavery views which were not accepted, and once again, back to D.C. in 1861. By the time she returned, the Civil War had broken out. Barton decided she could not wait and watch as her country collapsed into conflict, and worked in the Washington Infirmary where she aided the wounded Union soldiers. As the war progressed, Clara Barton continued to aid and support the North's soldiers as a nurse. At the Battle of Antietam, Barton drove around wagons full of extra supplies and even organized a group of men who would carry around water and make food for the injured. Towards the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln appointed her General Correspondent for the Friends of Paroled Prisoners where she worked to answer inquiries from the friends and family of the missing soldiers. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and served as its president for 23 years. Her encouragement made more women join the work force and become nurses. She died in 1912 at the age of 91. The American Red Cross has since continued to support and assist people across the nation. |
Anastasia Barrett, Alessandra Lopez