Clara Barton: Angel of the Battlefield

I remember learning of Clarissa Harlowe Barton, better known as Clara Barton, in elementary school. Photos of her depicted a graceful woman with perfectly-braided hair pinned up elegantly on the back of her head, wearing a large dark gown and a gentle smile.

As children, we learn of her contributions to American history through the founding of the American Red Cross, but it wasn’t until I started volunteering for the organization that I unearthed the magnitude of her efforts and how it led to the organization I hold so dearly today.

Clara Barton lived a life of servitude, beginning as a teacher at a time where educational positions were primarily held by men. In 1861, as the Civil War was just beginning, Clara found herself in Washington, D.C., serving as one of the first women employed by the federal government. She was placed in a prime position to identify a need to support local troops with food, supplies, clothing, and care. 

After appealing to government leaders for further access to service members in need, Clara appeared at a field hospital in Virginia with a wagon full of supplies. The surgeon on duty, overwhelmed by the human disaster surrounding him, referred to her timely assistance as that of an angel, the event lending itself to the creation of her moniker “Angel of the Battlefield.”

Clara spent years risking her life to deliver relief along the front lines of countless battles. She nursed, comforted, and cooked for the wounded. In the face of danger, she wrote, “I always tried . . . to succor the wounded until medical aid and supplies could come up—I could run the risk; it made no difference to anyone if I were shot or taken prisoner.” 

In 1865, after supporting the establishment of a national cemetery for more than 10,000 Union soldiers who perished within the notorious Andersonville, Georgia, prison, Clara ended her servitude and returned home.

Four years later, in search of rest, she traveled to Europe, where she was introduced to the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland. Inspired by the writings of Henry Dunant, founder of the global Red Cross network, she resumed her support for troops alongside the International Red Cross and eventually had a hand in advocating for the United States to support the ratification of the Geneva Convention treaty. 

After returning from Geneva, her desire to support those most vulnerable amid war and disaster remained, and it led her to the founding of the American Red Cross on May 21, 1881. Clara led the organization for more than twenty years, with a primary focus on disaster relief after hurricanes, forest fires, floods, tidal waves, and more. Toward the end of her tenure, the American Red Cross provided aid to American armed forces for the first time as they took part in the Spanish-American war. 

The American Red Cross received its first congressional charter in 1900, officially tasking the organization with providing humanitarian aid amid disasters, both locally and abroad, and serving American armed forces and their families—missions that continue today. 

Over the years, additional missions have been added to our repertoire, adapting to the new and more complex needs of communities and people. Clara’s legacy of caring for our military members lives on within the American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces division. From enlistment, through their career, and into their final days, Red Cross volunteers provide comfort, care, supplies, and hope to service members and their families.

As a resident of a disaster-prone state, as well as a military spouse and caretaker, Clara Barton’s contributions have impacted my life in enormous ways throughout the years, and I’ve been on the front lines to see it impact so many others. I will be forever grateful for her compassion and drive to support those who need it most here and across the world. 

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On Dec. 25, we celebrate the incredible contributions of Clara and what would have been her 200th birthday, encouraging everyone to “lead like Clara” through donations of time, talent, or treasure. To find more information on Clara or to get involved, visit redcross.org.

By Stephanie Fox, Media Relations Lead, American Red Cross

Featured image: Circa 1865. Matthew Brady portrait of Clara Barton.

All images courtesy of the American Red Cross.