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Clara Barton to the American People [Page 5 of 7]

Clara Barton National Historic Site, National Park Service

Clara Barton National Historic Site, National Park Service
Glen Echo, MD, United States

Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly magazine was published from 1876 through 1906. Frank Leslie died in 1880, and his widow inherited his publishing business. At the time this article appeared, Miriam Florence Leslie, also an author and noted supported of the women’s suffrage movement, was successfully running the business. Reverend Peter MacQueen was a Unitarian clergyman from Massachusetts, a war journalist and un-official, civilian member of the Rough Riders. He was in Cuba during the fall of Santiago, wrote on the history of the war in Cuba and wrote “In The Philippines.” The photograph of Miss Clara Barton featured here, taken in 1897. She was 76 years old when she led the American Red Cross into its first war relief effort. It was her third war, having provided relief during the Civil War as an independent citizen and the Franco-Prussian War with the German Red Cross.

The upper photograph capton read, “Entrance to Santiago Harbor. The masts and funnel of Hobson’s Merrimac are seen in the foreground, to the left, and the sunken Spanish vessel, Reina Mercedes, in the middle distance, below the walls of the Morro.” The lower photograph depicts the town of Santiago from the harbor.

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  • Title: Clara Barton to the American People [Page 5 of 7]
  • Creator: Reverend Peter MacQueen
  • Contributor: Clara Barton National Historic Site National Park Service
  • Original Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/clba/exb/American_Red_Cross/Spanish_American_War/CLBA4512_PG1.html
  • Transcript: “…Miss Barton, the Red Cross seems to be the only properly organized body in the field.” “These supplies were first sent out for the reconcentrados, on the call of the President. They say that there are five to ten thousand tons more coming to Cuba to be distributed under the care of the Red Cross Society. We have with us 1,400 tons of supplies in the State of Texas. They were contributed by individuals. My nephew, Stephen E. Barton, is chairman of the Red Cross Commission of New York City. An appeal was made to the people early in the present trouble, even before the war broke out. The public responded grandly. The President sent for me and asked me to go to Havana before the war began, to distribute food to the starving reconcentrados. We succeeded for a time; but finally the war came and the blockade was threatened. Then I returned to the United States. “When I left the field at Havana there were great quantities of the food not yet delivered. Not long after hostilities opened the government again sent to me, desiring me to load the State of Texas, take command of the expedition, and land the provisions in Cuba when the war should have opened a port. “We have been over two months floating about…”
  • Source: Clara Barton National Historic Site
  • Publisher: Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly
  • National Park Service Catalog Number: CLBA4512
  • Measurements: L24, W 16 cm
  • Materials: Paper
  • Date: c 1898
Clara Barton National Historic Site, National Park Service

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