A Determined Nurse

Extremely intelligent, extraordinarily brave, and exceedingly committed, Clara Barton, who was called the angel of the battle field, became the sign of hope for the soldiers of the Civil War. Living in Oxford Massachusetts, Clara was born into a large family in the middle of the eighteen- hundreds. While growing up in a typical farm family, she did not do typical things for a young girl of that time. Despite the dangers, Clara Barton founded the first Red Cross in America to help people in need of supplies and medical assistance, when they needed it most.

Clara Barton was born the youngest child of seven on December 25, 1821. Relatively small for her age, Clara was exceedingly shy, while still possessing great courage. Until she was fifteen years old, when she started teaching, she was educated at home. Clara was a tomboy. When Clara was young, she disobeyed her father by going ice skating, which was a very unladylike activity at the time, and fell and hurt her knee badly. Staying in bed for many weeks, Clara learned what a wounded person felt like. After Clara’s brother David was in a serious accident, she took care of him night and day, although she was only eleven. Clara Barton’s father had once been a soldier, and he told her stories of the battles he’d fought, which instilled an interest in Clara about military affairs. Although Clara Barton was shy, small, and the youngest of seven, she had a great passion for nursing even as a child.

When Clara Barton was in her teens, she had a great interest in becoming a nurse, although this was an uncommon profession for women. After teaching for many years, she resigned, but was appointed to be a clerk in the Patent Office in 1854. Single-handedly, when the Civil War broke out, she distributed supplies and organized supply depots, facilities to recover soldiers’ baggage which had been lost. Clara also set up a bureau to search for missing men in 1865 at the request of President Lincoln. Helping in dangerous areas, Clara Barton often courageously served near the line of fire. She was a fearless leader. Clara traveled with the army the rest of the Civil War. Nursing in harsh conditions for years, Clara Barton is now known for her courage, endurance, and resourcefulness. Thankfully, Clara Barton followed her dream of being a nurse because many would have suffered without her.

Truly, the Red Cross was an important part of Clara Barton’s life. When the German-Franco War broke out, Clara helped by distributing relief supplies. In Europe she was associated with the Red Cross. Handing out brochures and giving speeches. Clara started the Red Cross in America in 1881. Clara Barton wrote an amendment to the Red Cross, which is not only for relief in time of war, but also for famines, floods, earthquakes, cyclones, and pestilence. She was extremely dedicated. Clara Barton resigned from her position in the Red Cross in 1904 when she was eighty-two years old.