THE LIFE OF CLARA BARTON IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I [Illustration: _Clara Barton_] THE LIFE OF CLARA BARTON FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BY WILLIAM E. BARTON AUTHOR OF “THE SOUL OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN” “THE PATERNITY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN,” ETC. _With Illustrations_ VOLUME I [Illustration: Decorative Image] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1922 COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY WILLIAM E. BARTON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE · MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. TO STEPHEN E. BARTON HER TRUSTED NEPHEW; MY KINSMAN AND FRIEND CONTENTS VOLUME I INTRODUCTION xi I. HER FIRST ATTEMPT AT AUTOBIOGRAPHY 1 II. THE BIRTH OF CLARA BARTON 6 III. HER ANCESTRY 9 IV. HER PARENTAGE AND INFANCY 16 V. HER SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS 22 VI. THE DAYS OF HER YOUTH 36 VII. HER FIRST EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER 50 VIII. LEAVES FROM HER UNPUBLISHED AUTOBIOGRAPHY 56 IX. THE HEART OF CLARA BARTON 76 X. FROM SCHOOLROOM TO PATENT OFFICE 89 XI. THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM 107 XII. HOME AND COUNTRY 131 XIII. CLARA BARTON TO THE FRONT 172 XIV. HARPER’S FERRY TO ANTIETAM 191 XV. CLARA BARTON’S CHANGE OF BASE 225 XVI. THE ATTEMPT TO RECAPTURE SUMTER 238 XVII. FROM THE WILDERNESS TO THE JAMES 263 XVIII. TO THE END OF THE WAR 282 XIX. ANDERSONVILLE AND AFTER 304 XX. ON THE LECTURE PLATFORM 328 ILLUSTRATIONS CLARA BARTON AT THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR MOTHER AND FATHER OF CLARA BARTON BIRTHPLACE OF CLARA BARTON STONE SCHOOLHOUSE WHERE SHE FIRST TAUGHT CLARA BARTON AT EIGHTEEN MISS FANNIE CHILDS (MRS. BERNARD VASSALL) THE SCHOOLHOUSE AT BORDENTOWN FACSIMILE OF SENATOR HENRY WILSON’S LETTER TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN FACSIMILE OF LETTER OF CLARA BARTON TO PRESIDENT JOHNSON WITH INDORSEMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT, GENERAL GRANT, AND OTHERS INTRODUCTION The life of Clara Barton is a story of unique and permanent interest; but it is more than an interesting story. It is an important chapter in the history of our country, and in that of the progress of philanthropy in this country and the world. Without that chapter, some events of large importance can never be adequately understood.