Sunday, May 3, 2026
The Life and Legacies of Clara Barton
Led by the Religious Services Committee with the Clara Barton Guild
Reflections, Clara Barton
- Introduction to the Reflections
- Beginnings and the Civil War by Liz Lamoureux
- Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross by Sheila Jacobs
- A Legacy Story: Megan and the Clara Barton Camp by Donna Seagrave
- Clara Barton and Murray Church by Liz Lamoureux
Introduction to the Reflections
The idea for this service came about, as many things do at Murray, at coffee hour! The framework came together quickly, but the details have taken months. I am grateful for the input of so many people – for musical choices and performances, for reflections and readings, for organizational assistance, and for encouragement.
I was initially inspired by an album of newspaper clippings, calendar pages, and correspondence signed by Clara. The handwritten message inside the front cover of the album reads “Mementos of Clara Barton given to Murray Church by Ruth Cooper, whose grandmother, Ruth Clark, went to school in Oxford, Mass., where Clara Barton was her teacher.”
One of the news articles is from 1997. In it, National Park Service historian Gary Scott tells of a significant discovery. In a Washington, D.C. building that was slated for demolition, 10 boxes of documents, files, and posters dating from 1865 to 1868 were found relating to Clara’s search for missing soldiers. Also found was an ornate metal sign that read “Missing Soldiers Office, 3rd floor, Room 9, Miss Clara Barton.”
There is a photo of Mr. Scott holding a book, which he used to help analyze those documents. The title of the book is “A Woman of Valor, Clara Barton and the Civil War” by Stephen B. Oates. I went right to ThriftBooks.com to order it!
The style of writing is called “narrative non-fiction”. Oates referenced massive amounts of historical facts about the Civil War, Clara’s letters and diary pages, correspondences, and notes from military participants and government officials. He attempted to weave these facts with emotion to evoke how she may have felt in the swirling chaos of battle.
I’m not much of a history buff, but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! This book formed the basis for my first reflection.
Prior to this project, I knew next to nothing about Clara Barton. During the past few months, Clara has become real. A complex woman of courage and shyness, love and despair, and doggedness to the point of exhaustion.
She was an ambitious, driven individual whose need to provide compassion and care was an obsession. Her accomplishments and experiences are all the more remarkable because of the era in which she lived and worked.
Women were expected to remain close to home, dress a certain way, and behave in a manner deemed proper by men. Their opinions and ideas were disregarded or silenced. Having a vocation other than teaching was frowned upon, and the pay was lower than for their male counterparts.
Despite everything, she spent a lifetime following her heart for the benefit of all people.
Clarissa Harlowe Barton
By Liz Lamoureux
Born on December 25, 1821 – 5th child – siblings 11 to 17 years older than she was.
Mother Sarah – “nervy, nervous, peculiar, short fuse, fiery temper, foul-mouthed, profane.” Strong opinions about political and social topics. She signed anti-slavery petitions and spoke for women’s rights. Taught Clara to sew, weave, cook, and garden.
Father Stephen – calm, reasonable, kind, athletic, philanthropic. Left the Baptist religion for Universalism. A former soldier. CB’s idol – he told her battle stories, drilled her in military tactics, taught her to shoot – Clara became a dead shot with a revolver.
Dorothea “Dolly” – eldest child suffered a mental breakdown from which she never recovered.
Stephen, Jr. – teacher. Later, became part owner of Barton Mills w/ brother David. He taught mathematics and bookkee ping to Clara.
David – taught Clara “the ways of animals”, horseback riding. She took care of him for 2 years after he fell from a roof and learned that alleviating suffering can change the course of a life.
Sally – teacher, loved poetry. Taught Clara to read and spell. When she was home from boarding school, she watched over Clara closely – esp. after Dolly’s breakdown
Clara’s siblings were more like parents to her. Felt unwanted and neglected by her mother.
Clara was required by her family to become a teacher, a proper vocation.
She spent a year at the Clinton Liberal Institute. It was a coeducational academy operated by the Universalists in Clinton, N.Y. She had taken an overload of subjects and impressed her teachers and the female superintendent with intellect and zeal. Her studies ended when the death of her mother required her to return home.
She was a bit of a paradox
Due in part to her childhood, scarred by violent parental quarrels. Nightmares, fears, shyness.
Physically strong, could handle a saw and hammer, and could drive a wagon team.
However, she was expected to act and dress as a proper lady.
Developed courage, empathy, and determination.
“Merciless driving force, shattering insecurity, demanding and erratic ego.”
She would suffer from recurring, crippling depression – from the need to excel, not feeling good enough.
Fear of insanity – Dolly
Constantly seeking public acclaim to offset the indifference of her family.
As a child, she didn’t feel that she could express her needs – for better clothing, education, adventure.
She didn’t consider herself a “church person”. She never publicly aligned with any religion. She was influenced by Universalism because of her father.
She taught in N. Oxford. Founded the New Jersey public school system.
Civil War
She was in Washington City, working in the Patent Office, when the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment arrived after being attacked on the road. She had grown up with or taught many of these soldiers – called them “her boys”.
When she checked on them, she discovered that they were without basic necessities. She resolved to resupply the “old 6th” herself. Oates writes, “She marched home and emptied her drawers of thread, needles, thimbles, scissors, buttons, pins, strings, salves, and serving utensils and packed them all in the largest market basket in the house. The next day, she persuaded neighborhood grocers to sell her provisions, which she then personally delivered.
Thus began her continuous relief efforts – advertising in papers and writing letters to friends asking for “necessities, useful articles, and stores.” At one point during the war, she had collected 3 warehouses full of supplies, which she brought to the front lines for the comfort and aid of “the boys.”
She recognized that the enemies of survival were hunger, thirst, weather, and filth. Using her continuous stream of supplies, she helped organize cleaner quarters and on-site kitchens. If the men had to lie outside in the cold, she had bricks heated to pack around them. In dangerous heat, she made sure that ice was available.
Clara was present near 14 battlefields, including Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Battery Wagner, the Wilderness Campaign, Petersburg, and Richmond. On occasion, she was nearly struck by stray bullets and shrapnel. She showed no fear or revulsion. She knelt in the mud and the blood, tending to soldiers who suffered unimaginable damage. Many times, as a young man lay dying, he would call out for his mother, sister, or wife. Clara would simply reply “I am here” to offer a small measure of peace.
Missing soldiers
After the war, Oates writes, “half the known Union dead were unidentified, and thousands more were missing and presumed dead.” It was to this project that Clara now applied all of her energy.
She had received hundreds of letters from relatives of the missing asking for her help to find their loved ones. It was an overwhelming task for one person. At first, she used her own money to hire assistants. Then, after navigating government red tape, President Johnson approved of Clara’s operation and directed the Government Printing Office to publish her lists containing 3,000 soldiers’ names. As a result, many of the missing were found or identified.
Andersonville
There were several prison camps for Union soldiers, of which Andersonville in southwest Georgia was the worst. During prisoner exchanges between sides, many men were sent to a general hospital in Annapolis, Maryland. The appalling condition of the men upset Clara terribly. However, her primary concern was still to account for missing soldiers.
Clara was contacted by Dorence Atwater, who had been a prisoner at Andersonville. He had been assigned to keep a written death register due to his excellent penmanship. Atwater secretly made a duplicate death list and smuggled it out when he was transferred. It contained the names of 12,658 Union men and boys.
After protracted negotiations, an expedition was mounted to Andersonville to mark the graves with individual names, ranks, units, and dates of death. Clara was treated with disdain and disrespect by the captain in charge and his men. Dorence and Clara were able to check on the headboards and correct “hosts of errors, the result of criminal haste” on the Captain’s part.
Before the group departed, the captain gave Clara the honor of raising the colors over the newly created cemetery. “The little crowd sang The Star- Spangled Banner, and Clara covered her face and cried”.
Women’s Rights
Clara did not hesitate to praise the other women of the war. More than 20,000 female hospital workers had been indispensable to the Federal cause. In the 1870’s, the first nursing school opened in the United States. It was modeled after the Nightingale Training School in England. For the first time, nursing became a trained, paid profession for women.
During the war, women had to fill the vacancies left by men leaving for battle. They had replaced teachers, run the farms, entered government service, secured retail jobs, and entered into political activity.
Clara had always believed in “perfectly equal rights” for women, including the right to vote. She overcame her inherent shyness to speak emphatically at women’s conventions with Susan B. Anthony and other feminists.
However, due to Clara’s personal experiences with former slaves during the war, she felt that they should get the vote first. Some feminists agreed with Clara, which caused a fierce debate, causing the group to split into 2 factions.
Oates writes, “Once, when asked to sign a petition asking for women’s suffrage, Clara indignantly refused, saying, quote: Of whom should I ask this privilege? Who possessed the right to confer it? Who had greater right than the woman herself? Was it a man? If so, how did he get it? Who conferred it on him? He depended on a woman for his being, his very existence, nature, and rearing. More fitting that she should have conferred it upon him.”
Lecture circuit
At one point, Clara needed income, so she began traveling to talk about her wartime experiences. Many times, former soldiers would attend and thank her for the care that she had given them during the worst times of their lives. Out of gratitude and respect, scores of veterans named their daughters after Clara, allowing her spirit to live on.
Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross
By Sheila Jacobs
When I retired, I joined the Clara Barton Guild here at Mary Church as a way to, I don’t know, I want to go to lunch, I guess.
With the ladies, and I’m so glad I did. But I have to admit that I really didn’t know who she was. So I have learned she is one of the most remarkable humanitarians in American history. After that teaching career, she moved to Washington, and she was one of the first women, if not the first woman, who ever worked for the federal government in that patent office.
And as you’ve heard, during the Civil War, she provided nursing care. Even though it wasn’t a real profession at the time, supplies were sent to the front line. Her life, this service to find her life, helped earn her the title of Angel of the battlefield. And she came to nursing care as she had helped care for her younger brother, and she, at that time, was a self-taught nurse.
And as you’ve heard a little bit, the office of the Missing Soldiers was a project of Clara Barton’s. And you can imagine that thousands and thousands of soldiers and families who did not know what happened to their loved ones during that time. So she really helped bring closure to many families. All of that you’ve heard and can imagine the horror of the Civil War.
It really took a toll on Clara’s health, and it was recommended that she travel to Switzerland for rest and recuperation. In 1869, she learned about the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was founded in Geneva. She volunteered with the Red Cross and was there during the Franco-Prussian War. And that was an opportunity to help civilians and soldiers.
So the concept was to provide neutral aid to those injured in battle. When she returned to the US, she was determined to create an American version of the Red Cross. So in 1881, she founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., and she became its first president. For the next 23 years, she also lobbied the U.S. to ratify the Geneva Conventions in 1882.
The Geneva Conventions are intended to protect the wounded and civilians in conflict zones, and as we know, women did not secure the right to vote until 1920. So her leadership, her voice, her tenacity, and her courage are especially noteworthy. One of her major innovations was the American amendment. The idea that the Red Cross should help not only in wartime, but also in natural disasters and epidemics during peacetime.
Under her leadership, the American Red Cross responded to major disasters. You may have heard about the Johnstown Flood and the Galveston hurricane. Spanish-American War. Yellow fever epidemics in Florida. She continued to travel to disaster scenes, even in her 70s. She resigned from the American Red Cross in 1904 amid criticism of her management style. And you’ve heard some inklings of what that might have been, and internal disputes regarding finances.
I am not clear, and I didn’t delve enough into that book. I suppose, to totally understand what the disputes were about the finances, but it was reported that she didn’t take a salary, and she often provided supplies from her own money. So I guess the accounting practices weren’t as we know them today. She then founded the National First Aid Association of America.
So she stopped being the president, and she found another association. She passed away in April of 1912, in Echo Glen, New York, at the age of 90. Today, the American Red Cross provides disaster relief for fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blood collection. We have those at Murray Church. CPR, first aid, lifeguard training services to military members and families, and international disaster and humanitarian aid.
And she was clearly a woman of courage and determination, moral conviction. Her gift was service to humanity, even though she had her own struggles with depression, and many describe her as a workaholic. Her legacy lives on and is reflected in the spirit of the American Red Cross volunteers and staff. It brings help and hope around the world. For me, having done this work and listened to the presentations, I am totally inspired by the reflection that she was not swayed by the social norms of the day.
She never married nor had children, which were clearly expectations of the time. And she left one of those jobs early on when she realized that she was being paid half of what her male counterpart was being paid. She also provided aid and service to people regardless of their color, creed, race, or social status. And the final quote I have for my section is these are her words.
The Red Cross is a part of the US that has come to stay, and like the sturdy oak, its spreading branches shall yet encompass and shelter the relief of the nation.
Megan and the Clara Barton Camp
By Donna Seagrave
The idea of legacy is a serious one-what do I want to be remembered for? Can I leave real things and resources for future use?
Clara Barton’s legacies have benefited so many. I think of the Red Cross organizations, both national and international, that continue to this day. Her strong work ethic serves as a personal reminder and inspiration to just do the work!
Another real and important legacy resource is the Clara Barton Camp itself. Clara died in 1912 at the age of 90 and did not get to see how her family’s homestead in North Oxford, Massachusetts, became a camp for diabetic children. The homestead consisted of a farmhouse, a barn, and 96 acres of land. In 1921, insulin was discovered, and in 1932, Dr. Eliot Joslin from Oxford, MA, joined forces with the Universalist women to create the Clara Barton Birthplace Camp for diabetic children. The boys’ camp was 3 miles up the road. The camp name is now the Barton Center for Diabetes Education- a busy, thriving place for diabetic kids.
My personal connection to the camp:
My husband John and I lived a few towns away and loved to hike there in the off seasons{except for hunting season!}
My second connection was through a work colleague’s daughter, who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 10. I met Megan at pool parties before her diagnosis. She was a feisty kid! The first to jump into the deep end of the pool, climb to the top of the swing set or run races with the other kids. It was hard to hear how mad and sad she was after her diagnosis. Megan’s dad was also diabetic, so she was all too familiar with glucose testing and insulin injections. She was having no part of any of it! Megan, it’s time to test your glucose- YOU DO IT! Megan, it’s time for your insulin injection. YOU DO IT! Her parents were overwhelmed and could only see the lifelong difficulties associated with diabetes. Megan’s schoolwork suffered. A therapist was offered, but she was NOT discussing it!
The camp held open houses in late spring, and our local civic groups were always having fundraisers for camp scholarships.I brought in the dates for the open house and did major nudging to get them to go. Her team at the Joslin had also given them information. Even though they thought that Oxford, Massachusetts, was on the other side of the planet, they did go to an open house.
Kids and parents toured together for the first part of the day and then separated.
Megan’s assessment:
- Did you know that every kid here has diabetes like me? {Megan hadn’t been tuned in and so missed the memo!}
- They have horses here for me to ride!
- I need to come here-I told those ladies to sign me up, and you need to come over and finish it.
Her parents’ assessment:
- This place is so far away from Boston!
- It’s really rustic here-wooden cabins, cots, a lodge. Neither parent had done any camping or summer camps.
- It was nice to be with other parents dealing with their kids’ diabetes.
- What if something happens-who will take care of Megan? There is 24-hour physician and nurse coverage at camp. The kids are also taught how to manage their diabetes-it doesn’t own them!
Megan did go to camp and thrived there! She eventually became a camp counsellor, an experience that helped her decide to become an elementary school teacher. Megan and her friends would occasionally pop by the hospital to get shopping money. I asked about camp, and she, in her teenage way, told me it was cool there, and she liked working there.
It was not all smooth sailing, but I do know that for Megan and her family, Clara’s legacy of the Barton Camp made a huge difference in the most positive ways.
You just never know how the stars and hard work will align!
Clara Barton and Murray Church
By Liz Lamoureux
When I became president of the Clara Barton Guild, I had many questions about the group, its history, and its relationship to Murray Church.
I spoke with Rachel Killion, our historian, who provided access to information from the Murray Archives. From there, I have supplemented those documents with facts from books and from The Barton Center for Diabetes Education.
As I mentioned earlier, Clara’s father switched to Universalism in the early 1800’s and was an influence in her life. In 1921, on the 100th anniversary of her birth, the Women’s National Missionary Association of the Universalist Church purchased Clara’s birthplace, which included 96 acres of land.
The home was restored as a museum, and in 1925, a “fresh-air” camp for inner-city youth was opened.
In 1932, Dr. Joslin and the Universalist women joined forces to create The Clara Barton Birthplace Camp for children with diabetes.
From the Murray archives of November 1947, there are minutes from a meeting of the Junior Mrs. class stating that “This group is taking charge of the distribution and collection of Christmas Stockings for the Clara Barton diabetic home”.
Throughout 1948, activities related to Clara Barton were mentioned in the meeting minutes. Sewing patterns were given out for aprons to be made for a June Clara Barton sale. There was a slideshow about the home, and a vote that each member would contribute $2.00 to the boys’ section of the camp. Thank you notes were read regarding the donations of cash, Christmas stockings, and proceeds from the sales of the aprons.
In March of 1949, it was voted to change the name of the class to the Clara Barton Guild.
Meetings were held monthly during the church year at members’ homes on a voluntary basis. The group tended to be small, but the women were truly dedicated in word, deed, and spirit. I actually recognized many of the names listed in the minutes as friends of my parents. So cool!
For many years, until fairly recently, the CBG was involved in a wide variety of fund-raising activities. There were rummage sales, bake sales, potluck suppers, mother-daughter banquets, food tables, and a “country post office” at the Annual Christmas Fair, a bridal pageant, and a lobster supper, among other things.
The money raised was used for the benefit of Murray Church, the Clara Barton camp, members in need, the Universalist Service committee, as well as for various charities and local community groups.
Today, things have evolved. Since the advent of our amazing Thrift Shop and the activities of many committees, fundraising events are now managed with great success.
The group continues to pledge funds to Murray Church and the diabetic camp by collecting modest yearly donations from members. The Clara Barton Guild now staffs the craft room at the Holiday Fair, hosts the occasional coffee hour, and will have a fund-raising table at the spring fair.
We are the only women’s social and service group at Murray. All women are welcome regardless of their ability to donate. We want to stay relevant by fostering personal connections, hiring speakers on contemporary topics, and learning more about Clara Barton, Murray Church, and our shared UU history.
Thank you.
