By Ella Hoath

 Clarissa Harlowe Barton (Clara Barton) was born on December 25, 1821 in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Clara was always the shy one out of her five sisters and brothers. She would often get jealous of how successful her siblings were. Sometimes she would compare herself to them. When comparing herself to her siblings, she’d get down on herself and wouldn’t have much self confidence.

 Clara Barton’s father served in some battles. From her father’s stories, she knew the lack of supplies, food, water, clothes, and medical attention the soldiers got. When Clara was old enough to help out with the war, she asked the colonel named Daniel Rucker if she could go to the battle field to give medical care, food, water, and clothes to the soldiers who needed it. At first he said no. But after Barton started to cry, he couldn’t say no.

 On August 13, Clara arrived at Culpeper, Virginia. As soon as she got there, there were men sprawled across the filthy, bloody floor desperate for fresh water, food and mostly medical attention. Nursing the soldiers kept her very busy. While she was a nurse there, she got really good at helping the soldiers with their wounds and sicknesses. She finally felt needed and successful like her siblings.

 Around 1829, Barton attended a boarding school. While at the boarding school, she became obsessed with learning. Even though Clara would try avoiding attention at all costs, her obsession would take control and she would raise her hand for almost every question! As a six year old, she would study astronomy, and history. She would also study poetry.

 Clara Barton went to a one room school house in North Oxford, Massachusetts to teach. In the classroom, there were forty students. Her youngest students were toddlers. While her oldest students were in their late teens. Once again, she felt needed and useful.

 Clara realized that being a teacher was not for her. But, on July 1854, she became a clerk in the patent office. Even when she was little, she always had the need to help people with their illnesses and injuries. Her parents both thought that Clara would make a good nurse or doctor. But her siblings on the other hand didn’t.

 As Clara continued her job at the patent office, she decided to organize a campaign for wounded/sick soldiers. She would ask people for donations for the soldiers. Some of those donations were food, water, clothes and sometimes medical supplies. Also money was donated. Although, that didn’t completely quench her enthusiasm to help the soldiers.

 Barton finally found her opportunity to serve for the Red Cross. She used all supplies available to her while helping soldiers. She would scrub all tools the best she could with all the soap she had. She also would feed the soldiers who couldn’t feed themselves. Every day and every night would be busy with special needs from soldiers.

 Throughout Barton’s years of working for the Red Cross, she became so emotionally over wrought that she got ill with dimming eye sight, general weakness, and dysentery. For being that sick she was told to go home and to get better. When she got home, her sister Sally opted to take care of her. When ever Clara needed anything, Sally was there to give it to her. A couple of days later, Barton was ready to go back to the battlefield.

 91 year old Barton was very sick. She could barley move. She was even too ill to eat a lot of food. The most she could do was sit up in her bed. But sadly, on April 12, 1912, Clara died.

Clara Barton caring for the wounded soldiers at the Red Cross.

This is actually Clara Barton’s favorite picture of her self!

 bold-adj.- to be daring; fearless.  bloodshed-noun- the shedding of blood; killing.  triumph-noun- a victory; success.  Red Cross-noun- an international society for the relief of suffering in time of war.  reluctant-adj.- to do something unwillingly; uncertain.