The Angel of the Battlefield
Angel of the Battlefield Clara Barton once said, "I have an almost disregard of precedent and a faith in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things have always been done
I defy the tyranny of precedent. I cannot afford the luxury of a closed mind. I go for anything new that might improve the past" (Lewis 1). Also known at the Angel of the Battlefield during the Civil War, Clara Barton is a great heroine for her many achievements such as: establishing a free public school in Bordentown, New Jersey, tending to and distributing supplies to the soldiers in the Civil War, forming the American Red Cross. Born on December 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts, Clara Barton was the youngest of five children and the next eldest was ten years older than she (Faust 1). Her father, Stephen Barton, was a farmer and state legislator. Her mother, Sally Stone-Barton, stayed at home like most mothers in those days (Gale "Clara Barton" 1). Clara began to learn how to read and write at an early age because of her older brothers and sisters. At eleven, she experienced nursing for the first time when one of her brothers fell from the roof of the barn and was badly hurt. Clara was very dedicated to her brother and his healing for two years (1). At age fifteen she started teaching in many schools around the area (Faust 1). She accomplished many things in her years. In 1853, Clara worked at the U.S. Patents Office as the first female clerk, making the same wages as the male clerks ("The Biography" 3). Clara Barton served as a nurse in the Civil War starting in 1861. She was never married but was always very dedicated to helping people. She led a great life and left a lot of good things behind. Clara died in her home in Glen Echo, Maryland on April 12, 1912 ("Clara Barton" 4). Clara Barton loved teaching and was always helping people in life. She taught for many years in her hometown and then went to New York. She spent a year in the western part of
Bibliography: "The Biography of Clara Barton." Life Stories of Civil War Heroes. 2001. 1st Dragoon 's Civil War site. 14 Nov. 2006 . "Clara Barton- Angel of the Battlefield." Park Net. U.S. National Park Service. 14 Nov. 2006 . Faust, Patricia L., ed. "Clara Barton Biography." Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War. 2000. Civil War Home. 14 Nov. 2006 . Gale, Thomson. "Clara Barton Biography." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 14 Nov. 2006 . ---. "Clarissa Harlowe Barton Biography." World of Health. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 14 Nov. 2006 . Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Clara Barton Quotes." Quote Collection. 1997-2005. About Women 's History. 14 Nov. 2006 .