Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17

Few women IN America are better known
ti.an Miss Clara Barton. the chairman OF the
committee. Her name Is synonymous with the
part taken by women in the war rs it Is also
inseparably connected with all tina, her sex has
done in he amehoration Of human suffering.
As president of the Red Cross this generation
has placed its estimate on her services by the
fullest encouragement and cordial helping.
Many foreign governments have presented her
with their most coveted decorations and
medals. and she has been honored time and
time again By special commissions from our
own gOvernment-
The old veterans who come 70 Washington
today may not think so much OF all this as they
do of that which came prior 10 il and with
which her fame Is earliest associated.
Miss cartons home training the founda-
ton of her successful career. She was born in
North Oxford, Mass. Her father a soldier
who served under Gen. Wayne and his boyish
eyes witnessed the evacuation of Detroit by the
British IN 1876. Miss Barton was the youngest
Of the family and she was Taught not only the
usual domestic duties. but given a general bust
Ness education. When grown up she taught
school in Massachusetts, and New jersey. In
1854 failing health obliged her to seek milder
climate and she came to this city. A distant
relative secured her a position in the patent
Office, where she remained until President
buchanan entered upon his tenn Her anti
slavery sentiments caused her dismissal and she
returned to New England in 1851. At the COM
nlencement of the var she came back to this
city. On the 18th of April, 81. the sixth Mas
saehusetts militia arrived here. They we're
CHARTERED in the Capitol and their sick in the
Washington lnfirmary. Judiciary Square. Miss
Barton went among the sick and then up to the
Senate chamber. where she read aloud
. paper to interested audience of
soldier boys. Most of them came
from the neighborhOoi of her own home, and
the news she was able to give them was the first
that they had heard OF what was going on at
the front That year she spent in the hOspi-
tails of this city, where she distributed the sup
plies which she kept collecting for that purpose.
bu. IN the fall of 62 she loaded a wagon and
started 10 follow TIE march Of Glen. Mcclellan
She was probably first in the field as an army
nurse. and she continued her work throughout
the war. and VS. in the vicinity of nearly all
the decisive conflicts. Later on she established
In this city bureau OF records of nlissius:
nlen of the armies Of the United States" She
collected all rolls of prisoners. hospital records
burial records of rebel prisons. and published
from time to time rolls of missing men, -
which were s.n. to ali parts of the
country. By these means thousands
OF families heard again Of their loved ones or
at least knew whe Their they died in action. i'll
hospital or prison. At AndersOnyille she
superintended the burial of many who would
have Otherwise gone 10 swell the list of the I'M
Known dead These services were so highly
esteemed that afterward Congress appro-
prilted $4,000 TO relnunerate her for ex-
penditares and to establish the bureau of
records.
or the active members OF the executive COM
nittee short sketches are appended.