Clara Barton: A Remarkable Biography

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This phrase is the best to describe Clara Barton, an inspirational figure in U.S. history. Clara Harlowe Barton was an American nurse, teacher, and humanitarian. From a young, shy, and timid girl, she modeled her life and situations in such a way wherein she chose to rise above the circumstances and led a fulfilling and rewarding journey called life. Whether as a teacher, nurse, or even while finding missing soldiers she never did things, half-heartedly. As we learn about her life and laurels, let us keep in mind to be a little generous, humble, and kind on one hand and strong-willed and focused on the other.

Clara Barton was born on 25 December 1821. She lived with her family on a farm in the northeast state of Massachusetts. She was youngest of the five siblings. When her elder brother David got injured while building a barn, she dedicated two years of her life to taking care of him. She taught herself the details of the process as there was no formal training in nursing during that time. This laid the foundation for the years she dedicated to caring for wounded soldiers.

As a young child, Clara had great difficulty studying and making friends at school. She was taught at home and finished school at the age of fifteen. After working for some time at her brother’s mill she decided to take up teaching. In 1836, she passed the teacher’s test and began teaching near her home in North Oxford, Massachuset She was an extremely popular and respected teacher. She established the first public school in the state of New Jersey. After some time she moved to Washington D.C. to begin a new job writing documents for the US government.

She was the first woman to get a clerkship paid at par with her male counterparts. In 1861, the civil war broke out. In this way, northern and southern states fought over whether the nation should stay together or not. In the early days of the war, Clara went to meet some of her soldier friends from Massachusetts and found some of them wounded. She immediately started taking care of the injured. Not long after, she decided to quit her office job and become a full-time nurse. She went to the battlefields to take care of the soldiers. She realized that many lives could be saved if supplies were available on the battlefield.

With requisite permission from the army, she began supplying needed materials from bandages to food and clothing. She along with some other women worked day and night to help the soldiers. For four years she was on the front lines of the bloodiest battles. They gave her the Nickname ‘Angel of the Battlefield’ for the help she gave to the soldiers.

After the war ended Clara found out that relatives of the dead soldiers were sending letters to the war dept. and there was no one answering them as the dead were buried in unmarked graves. Clara sought permission from President Lincoln to start responding. One of the most fascinating aspects of Clara’s work is finding the Missing Soldiers’ Office. This was a time when many soldiers did not have a formal identification. So it was very difficult to locate them. She helped by providing information about dead and missing soldiers thus giving closure to many families.

Clara’s doctor advised her to rest which was much-needed rest following her Civil War relief work and she was sent to Europe. There she found out about the Red Cross Society. The Organization was established in 1865 to offer better treatment for people wounded or captured during wartime. She was told that the USA was the only major nation that refused to join it. Clara worked with I.R.C. to prepare military hospitals and distribution of aid during the Franco-Prussian war. Because of her humanitarian work, she was given the Golden Cross of Baden and the Prussian Iron Cross. On her insistence, in 1881 USA joined the Red Cross Organization. She next urged Congress to accept the Geneva Convention. For 25 years, she was the head of the American Red Cross. She ran it with fierce independence.

She directed aid efforts wherever it was required all over the world. It also provided disaster preparedness education for preventive side efforts. She continued her association with International Red Cross and provided help to Constantinople, Turkey, and Armenia.

Clara Barton retired in her 80’s. During her last days, she lived in Washington DC. She published a book about her life called the story of my childhood. She died on 12th April 1912 after contracting pneumonia at the age of 90. In 1948, a postage stamp with a portrait of Clara and an image of the American red cross was issued. In 1973, she was inducted into the national women’s Hall of Fame.

She continues to be an inspiring figure. Abraham Lincoln wanted the civil war to be the first in human history where there were fewer deaths from camp fever and disease. Although he was not successful. It led to many innovations in the treatment of soldiers. Clara revolutionized and raised money from the public to collect supplies for wounded soldiers, got bandages made, and collected anything that a doctor needed on a battlefield. She brought food and extra clothing. All these supplies were transferred to Washington DC from there it was channeled to wherever it was required. This helped the army a lot, which was grappling with the shortage of supplies.

In 1996 a government employee named Richard Lyon was inspecting a building on Washington D.C 7th Street which was to be torn down. He accidentally discovered an attic full of medical supplies with a signboard of Clara Barton. Such was her dedication and commitment to the cause.

It’s not the grandeur of things that Clara did, which sets her apart. But it is the small things, the tiniest gesture that elevates her above the rest. Her single-mindedness news & dedication made her a woman of action.

Author Nidhi Raj is a homemaker, storyteller, and mother with a keen interest in women’s issues and international relations.