Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-04-19
Founder OF American Red Cross
Passes Away.

Miss Clara Barton. founder of the Ameri-
can Red Cross Society. died at her home
in Glen Echo, this county, at 8 O'Clock last
Friday morning. The cause of her death
was chronic pneumonia. with which she
was stricken a year ago. Her nephew
Stephen Barton. of Boston, was with her
when she died.
Miss Barton had been confined to her
home, Red Cross. Glen Echo, since last fall.
when she returned from a visit to New
England. 1t was thought her trip was
beneficial, but soon afterward she was taken
seriously i'll.
She celebrated her ninetieth birthday
anniversary December rs, when she re-
ceived many messages of congratuIation
from all parts of the world.
The body was taken to Oxford, Mass,
the old home of the family, for burial.
Clara Barton was born in Oxford, Mass,
in 1921, and was the daughter of Capt
Stephen and Sally Stone Barton, her father
having served in the Revolutionary War
under General Anthony Wayne. She re-
ceived careful education. and when quite
a young girl founded seminary for girls
at Elizabeth, N. j. Later she became a
clerk in the Patent Office in Washington
city, being the first woman to hold reeu-
lar clerical position in government de-
partment. At the outbreak of the rebel
lion she gave her time and energies to
caring for the sick and wounded, and led
in organizing the sanitary commission. She
served in the Army of the Potomac, was
present at the battles of Cedar Mountain,
Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Antietam and
Fredericksburg. the seiee of Charleston and
the stormine of Fort Wagner. the battles
Of Spotsylvania and the Wilderness and
in front of Petersburg during Buffers cam
paign.
She aided the Andersonville prisoners
upon their release, and after the war ended
organized at Washington the bureau of
records of missing soldiers. and traced out
the fate of $4,000 men. In 1857 she
visited Europe for the benefit of her health,
and was at Geneva when the Franco-Prus-
sian war opened. She Joined at once in
the work of the Red Cross Society, founded
in 1854; helped to organize the German
hospital service, and nursed the sick and
wounded at Strasburg and Metz.
When Strasburg capitulated and 10000
people were rendered homeless and starv-
ing, she provided materials for 10000
garments, to be made by women who but
for that work, would have been without
food. Entering Paris on foot, during the
days of the commune, she distributed food
and clothing to the needy. Once when the
mob were clamoring for food and had over
powered the police, she came to the door
of her lodgings and spoke them. mon
Dieu, it is an angel r. they said, and they
dispersed quietly and in order
Upon her return to this country, in 1873,
she inaugurated movement to obtain rec
IGNITION of the Red Cross Society by the
United States government, and finally dur
ing the administration of President Arthur
her labOrs were rewarded and she naturally
became President of the American branch
of the society when it was founded in 1882.
Miss Barton was delegate to the inter
national peace convention at Geneva in
1884, and was special commissioner for
foreign exhibits at the New Orleans exhi-
bition.
At the request of President Mckinley in
1898 Miss Barton carried relief to Cuba,
and did personal field work in TIE Spanish
American war. She conducted Red Cross
relief work at Galveston, Tex. after the
great disaster in August. 1900.
She held decorations or diplomas of honor
from Germany Qron Crosse Baden. Austria,
Servia, Turkey, Armenia, Switzerland, Rus
STA. Spain, Belgium; also vote of thanks
from the citizens of Johnstown, Pa, Texas
legislature. etc. She was mentioned in
President McKinley's annual message to
Congress, December 6, 1878, expressing his
own appreciation and that of the Ameri-
can people for relief work during the Span
sh-American war. She was the only wo-
man for whom Grand Army of the Re-
public post has been named.