Women Who Inspire: Clara Barton and Memorial Day

I recently found myself enjoying some child-free time and watching a documentary on the Civil War (yes this is how I choose to spend my free time).  Clara Barton and her humanitarian actions were mentioned several times during the film and I found myself drawn to her story.  Her actions during, and even more so after, the Civil War reminded me what Memorial Day and true patriotism is truly about.

The documentary, American Experience:  Death and the Civil War, focused on how the war changed our perspective on death in this country.  One of the points it discussed was how the military and the government were forced to revise how they dealt with the business of death.  Prior to the Civil War there was no government supported ambulance service, burial details, means of identifying fallen soldiers, compensation to living relatives or even a system to notify family members of a death.  These duties traditionally fell on individual commanders.  The sheer numbers of casualties during the Civil War, however, were too great for those commanders.  So the dead and wounded were not given the treatment they so deserved.

During the Civil War strides were taken to remedy many of these issues.  Ambulance services were started to carry the wounded and dead from the field.  Individuals began making a greater effort to place names on bodies and record where they had been left.  Hospital registries were created to notify family members and answer their inquiries.  National cemeteries were set up, including one at Gettysburg where President Lincoln gave the famous Gettysburg Address at it's dedication ceremony.  

Clara Barton was working in Washington DC when the Civil War began and as soon as wounded Union soldiers began arriving there she was at their sides, nursing them back to health.  Not long after she moved her work to the front, taking with her wagonloads of supplies and working side by side with the field doctors. 

Clara Barton (National Archives)

It was her work after the Civil War that most impressed me the most, though.  As many of those involved with the war headed home to celebrate their victory, or mourn over their defeat, she recognized that the work was not yet done.  Thousands of soldiers were still missing, some were wounded and still recovering in various hospitals, but many of them were left in unmarked graves or worse yet in abandoned fields.  She started working with the War Department and founded the Missing Soldiers Office.  There she personally conducted interviews, collected statements and began a database of information to determine the fate of hundreds of Union soldiers.  At one point she even led a team to Andersonville, Georgia a Confederate prison camp, with a soldier who had once been held there.  His information helped Barton locate hundreds of men, and even identified many of these.  All of these men were reburied in National Cemeteries.  Her efforts helped many and spurred the government into taking more drastic measures to help others learn the fate of their loved ones. 

What her story reminded me of was that while the government has a responsibility toward its citizens, especially those that have served and died in its defense, we too must not forget that we have our own duty as private citizens. 

"If I can't be a soldier, I'll help soldiers." 

- Clara Barton

Unlike many of the others who took up the banner for the soldiers during the Civil War Clara Barton had no personal connection.  She was not spurred by a loss of her own.  Instead she simply saw that help was needed and she offered it.  The only thing motivating her was a deep sense of patriotism.  So on this Memorial Day I suggest that we all take a little inspiration from that.  It is our duty, not as mothers or daughters or sisters or wives of soldiers but simply as American citizens, to give the honor and respect that is due to each and every soldier. 



Support Our Troops - a great list of ways that you can show your support

If you know of other ways that a private citizen can to 'help soldiers' please feel free to post it here in the comments section.