Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-07

EARLY RED CROSS ACTIVITIES
Nearness of 1898 Roll Funds Recalls 1905 Founding of
Local Chapter and Pioneer Work of Clara Barton Who
Ministered to Wounded Men of Civil War.
"HER description Of that experience

"HER description Of that experience
Is characteristic: When our
armies fought on Cedar Mountain I
broke the shackles and went to the
'front.' She arrived after the battle
and found much to do-'F1ve days
and nights with three hours sleep, q
narrow escapa from capture and some
days Of getting the wounded into
hospitals ut washington. And II you
chance to feel that the positions I
occupied were rough and unseemly
for q woman, I can only reply that
they were rough and unseemly for
men. But under all lay the life Of
the Nation. had inherited the rich
blessings Of health and strength Of
constitution-such as is seldom given
to woman-and felt some return
was due from me and that I ought
to be there She was again at Fair
fax. September first. with its dreadful
night watch among the wounded and
dying in the hay-strewn open field
and the succeeding three days before
the retreat on Washington. Then.
after 10 days rest. with Rev. C. M.
Welles and 1t. Fisk, she was given
an Army wagon and instructed to
follow the Army into Maryland with
supplies. BY an adroit night drive
she succeeded in passing the Army
supply train and took her place inn
mediately In the rear Of the artillery;
thus she was able to provide much
needed surgical articles and food long
before regular supplies reached the
field hospitals at Antietam.
zone Of Clara Barton's greatest
war achievements, measured by re-
suits, was her success in securing the
authority to cut the red tape regula-
lions that continued the congestion
at Acquia Greek, where hundreds Of
wounded men were held waiting In
ambulances and In the fields for
transportation to Washington hos
pitals. No one was ever told how
she secured q tug for the Capital.
but she came and at night aroused
the chairman Of the Senate Military
Committee. who at once conferred
with the War Department oflcials:
they were incredulous of the recital
Of incapacity at the front. but the
Senator so stormed. threatening pub
licity. that In two hours the quarter
master general was en- route for
Acquia Greek. where he took charge
and cleared the situation"
PUT, perhaps her most important
accomplishment, in connection
with the Civil War; began at the
close of that conflict. when she OBJ
tanned information for the Govern
ment of 10000 deceased Union SOL
diers whose deaths might not other
wise have been definitely established
and recorded.
Clara Barton's subsequent expert
ence with the International Red Cross
relief workers In the Franco-Prussian
War induced her to establish an or
ganization Of this kind in the United
States, and so. on May 81, 1881. The
Association Of the Red Cross was
incorporated In the District of Co.
lumbia and worked under this charter
for 10 years. In 1893 the association
was reincorporated In the District
as the American National Red Cross
and from 1892 to 1895 occupied the
old mansion at the corner of Seven
tenth and F streets, which served as
the headquarters Of Gen. U. s. Grant
shortly after the close of the Civil
War and later became the Depot
Quartermaster's Once.
On June 6. 1900. q Federal charter
was obtained for the Red Gross and
under 1t Miss Barton was elected presi-
dent for life. This ONCE, however, she
resigned on May IA, 1904, and 1t was