What did Clara Barton have to do with the Civil War?

Clara Barton Biography. ... When she went home to New England she continued the charity works and philanthropy she had begun in Washington. ... with her in three army wagons—was particularly welcome at the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) where overworked surgeons were trying to make bandages out of corn husks. read more

Clara Barton was an American nurse, suffragist and humanitarian who is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, she independently organized relief for the wounded, often bringing her own supplies to front lines. read more

Early in 1861 Barton returned to Washington, D.C. and, when the Civil War broke out, she was one of the first volunteers to appear at the Washington Infirmary to care for wounded soldiers. After her father’s death late in 1861, Barton left the city hospitals to go among the soldiers in the field. read more

Women, such as Clara Barton, would have a tremendous impact. Barton realized soon after the war began that the War Department was not prepared to deal with the human trauma of the battlefield. She lobbied to gather together supplies and organize them for use on the battlefield, and in the late summer of 1862, she was finally allowed to begin helping. read more