Part 22

Aghast and horrified had stood the world over the news of the then recent terrible massacres; of the contagious diseases that windswept Asia Minor, leaving thousands and tens of thousands dead and dying in its wake. But proud was America. Her heroine was at the Moslem Capital, the foreign representative of the one country there on guard for humanity. This, her picture of the trip to Killis, the scene of one of the many terrible massacres: “Our security, the official order, ‘Go and we protect,’—camels heavy-laden not with ivory and jewels, gold in the ingots and silk in the bales, but food and raiment for the starving, the sick, the dying. Onward toward dread Killis—the wild tribes’ knives before, the Moslem troops behind—till at length the spires of Aintab rise in view. Weary the camels and weary the men.” In fear that the means might not be at hand to do all she would, in anguish of soul Clara Barton writes to her friend Frances Willard: “My heart would grow faint and words fail to tell the people of the woes here and the needs. In the name of your God and my God, tell them not to be discouraged in the good work they have undertaken.”

She was then on the site of Ancient Byzantium whose history reaches back six hundred years before the Christian Era, a city with its successor Constantinople, the rival of Athens and Rome and Jerusalem, in service to civilization. She might have said, as did the proud Roman General, “I have come, I have seen, I have conquered.” But no word then,—neither before nor since—escaped her lips. She was there, having taken her life in her hands, not thinking of self, knowing no race, no creed, no religion, no nationality; there to distribute to the needy in such a way as an American President said she only knew how.

Strange and startling must have been the sensation to the Moslem as, on an eventful reunion of the Crusaders, through the open windows of [10]Red Cross headquarters there came from his foreign benefactors, in chorus, strains of sweetest music: “Home, Sweet Home,” of which the native was merely dreaming; “Sweet Land of Liberty,” of which he had only read; “Nearer My God to Thee,” which was wholly foreign to his religious teachings. It was on the patriotic Fourth at Constantinople, at the time of her carrying a message to the Turkish people, that in a poem entitled “Marmora,” of her own country Clara Barton sung:

Footnote 10:

Red Cross work in Turkey is under the name of Red Crescent.

MARMORA

It was twenty and a hundred years, oh blue and rolling sea, A thousand in the onward march of human liberty, Since on its sunlit bosom, wind tossed and sails unfurled, Atlantic’s mighty billows bore a message to the world.

And weary eyes grew brighter then, and fainting hearts grew strong, And hope was mingled in the cry, “How long, oh Lord, how long?” The seething millions turn and stir and struggle towards the light; The free flag streams, and morning gleams where erst was hopeless night.

Four expeditions through Turkey, Armenia and other parts of Asia Minor were planned and successfully carried out. Coasting boats were used to reach the interior, as were caravans of camels over the deserts and other almost waste places—the expeditions supplying the destitute with food, medicine, clothing, seed and farming implements. For this, the greatest undertaking of its kind in history, she was decorated by the Sultan of Turkey, by the Prince of Armenia, and from each of these rulers also she received a Diploma of Merit.

She was then in the hey-day of her popularity. Abdul-Hamid was on the throne of Turkey. Twelve years later the Sultan was dethroned and by his people put into prison. Oh! the irony of fate! About that time she draws this picture: “The Sultan was locked in and I locked out, but my whole country seemed my prison and I struggled to free myself of it.” Unfair the comparison! The “Young Turks” (a political party), representing the people, had dethroned, then imprisoned, Abdul-Hamid. Not so Clara Barton, by her people.

She was dethroned by methods that would shame a Turkish brigand; her prison-keeper was not the people, but

Man, proud man! Drest in a little brief authority.

On her return from Turkey Clara Barton was accorded a most wonderful reception at the nation’s Capital, and was acclaimed a world-heroine by the whole American people.

LXXXIX

Clara Barton, friend and counselor of Abraham Lincoln. KATE BROWNLEE SHERWOOD.

Already the pale messenger waits at the gate, and his weird shadow falleth near. CLARA BARTON.

Treason must be made odious. ANDREW JOHNSON.

Treason is ever odious. J. HALL.

Treason doth never prosper. SIR JOHN HARRINGTON.

Treason is one of the greatest crimes possible. T. DWIGHT.

Treason seldom dwells with courage. W. SCOTT.

Treason always operates, if possible, by surprise. W. H. SEWARD.

Treason and murder ever kept together as two yoke-devils, sworn to either’s purposes. HENRY IV.

Washington brought the United States of America into being; Lincoln made that being immortal. GEORGE H. SMYTHE, JR.

The life of Lincoln should never be passed by in silence by young or old. DAVID SWING.

His biography is written in blood and tears.

HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Lincoln—not thine the sorrow, but ours, sainted soul!

HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Lincoln now belongs to the ages. EDWIN M. STANTON.

TREASON—LINCOLN ASSASSINATED—GRANT PROTECTS CLARA BARTON

On the evening of the 14th of April, 1865, Clara Barton was at 488½ Seventh Street, Washington, D. C. She saw two men on the opposite side of the street, talking, and then excited men and women running up and down the street. Not long afterwards she heard the footsteps of a man pacing up and down the hall outside of her door, on the third floor. She cautiously opened the door to see who it was. In the hall she saw a sentinel, with his gun, passing—she wanted to know what it was all about. He said that he had been sent there to guard her, but could only tell her that a general massacre was feared. The sentinel stood guard there all night.

The news came sometime in the night that Lincoln had been assassinated, and that there was a plot to assassinate W. H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, U. S. Grant, and Andrew Johnson; that they were protecting her because they felt sure that she was also to be attacked, as she was close to Lincoln. She did not close her eyes in sleep, but paced the floor until morning. In the morning she opened the door and saw another sentinel outside the door. This other sentinel said it would not be safe for her to leave her room; that if she would give him her order for breakfast he would see that it was served; that if she had any letters to mail to pass them out, but she must remain a prisoner for the present.

The first person that came to see her in the morning was a messenger from General Grant—to see if she were all right. Soon after this she heard that Lincoln had died,—another messenger brought her the news. Describing the terrible events of the saddest of all nights at the Capital, Miss Barton said: “I heard a great commotion in the street and looking out the window I saw strong men standing everywhere, crying.” The people still feared there was going to be a general massacre. At the end of three days Miss Barton was told she might leave her room. The body of Lincoln was taken to Philadelphia to lie in state at the old State House, Sixth and Chestnut streets. Miss Barton received a letter from General Grant, asking her to go to Philadelphia. The General sent a companion to accompany her on the trip. Clara Barton attended the memorial in the “City of Brotherly Love,” and there paid her last tribute of respect to her friend, the immortal Lincoln.

XC

It is a wise benevolence that makes preparation in the hour of peace for assuaging the ills that are sure to accompany war.

CLARA BARTON.

The thoughtful mind will readily perceive that these responsibilities incurred by relief societies involve constant vigilance and effort, during periods of peace. CLARA BARTON.

The Red Cross has stood, unrecognized in the shades of obscurity, all the eighteen years of its existence among us, waiting for sure, alas, too sure the touch of war to light up its dark figure, and set in motion the springs of action. CLARA BARTON.

The fundamental principle of good citizenship is willing acquiescence. CLARA BARTON.

It will be history by and by to whom Cuba belongs and, while one has to study to learn past history, it is not worth while to let slip that which is all the time making history in our day and generation. CLARA BARTON, in 1874.

With funds, or without, the Red Cross has been first on every field of disaster. CLARA BARTON.

The cause the American Red Cross is meant to promote stands first in my affections and desires. CLARA BARTON.

The Cuban field gave the first opportunity to test the co-operation between the Government and its supplemental hand-maiden, the Red Cross. CLARA BARTON.

Thirty years of peace had made it strange to all save the veterans, with their gray beards, and silver-haired matrons of the days of the old war long since passed into history. Could it be possible that men were to learn anew (in Cuba)? Were men again to fall and women to weep? CLARA BARTON.

The able and experienced leadership of the President of the Society, Miss Clara Barton, on the fields of battle and at the hospital at the front in Cuba. PRESIDENT WILLIAM MCKINLEY.

PRESIDENT MCKINLEY SENDS CLARA BARTON TO CUBA

President McKinley personally had subscribed $1,000 to a fund to relieve the starving Cubans. He issued an appeal to the American people; the people responded with barely $50,000. Discouraged, he sent for Clara Barton. Not knowing the President’s desire to see her, Private Secretary Pruden told her that the President was very busy, and probably would not be able to see her until the next day. As she was about to leave Major Pruden said: “Wait a minute, Miss Barton, I’ll take your card in.” Returning, Major Pruden said: “Miss Barton, the President wants very much to see you.” Entering, Miss Barton found the President in conference with Secretary of State Day on the very matter of sending her to Cuba, to take charge of furnishing relief to the starving reconcentrados. The conference, which was to have been held next day, was held at once. At this conference Miss Barton outlined a complete plan of action. The plan was approved by the President, but provided only that Miss Barton herself should go to Cuba to take charge of the relief work. The President, in highest appreciation of her, said: “My dear Miss Barton, this is your work; go to the starving Cubans, if you can with your relief ship, and distribute as only you know how.”

In Red Cross relief work through Clara Barton, under her slogan “People’s Help for National Needs,” the uniform policy was _not to sell_, but _to distribute_. In Cuba when “Teddy the Rough Rider,” with money in his pocket and a gunny sack over his shoulders, in behalf of his soldiers ill and in distress, appeared at the door of her tent _to buy_, Clara Barton said: “Colonel, we have nothing to sell. What do your boys need? We have food and clothing to give away.” Recently commenting on that policy, an editorial writer says: “That its members should know neither friend nor foe, but serve all alike in fields of war and in camps of sickness, was the essence and spirit of the Red Cross which Clara Barton founded.”

XCI

Everything Clara Barton did was performed in a masterly and businesslike way. _New York Examiner._

Clara Barton possessed rare executive ability.

Boston (Mass.) _Journal_.

Clara Barton—her strong and capable hands—her clear and logical brain—her systematic methods. Boston (Mass.) _Globe_.

Is it not the finest kind of glory that when the American Red Cross is seen the name of Clara Barton comes to the mind like a benediction. New York (N. Y.) _Sun_.

The world lost in Clara Barton a great lawyer when it gained a whole-souled philanthropist. ELLEN SPENCER MUSSEY, Attorney for American Red Cross.

Had Clara Barton belonged to the other sex, she would have been a merchant prince, a great general, or a trusted political leader.

DR. HENRY W. BELLOWS.

Clara Barton’s herculean work was done with means that most men would scorn as too trivial to begin a work with.

ALICE HUBBARD—In _The Fra_.

Our methods are based upon strict business principles.

CLARA BARTON, President Red Cross.

No donor to, nor recipient of, Red Cross relief ever criticised Clara Barton’s bookkeeping. CORRA BACON-FOSTER, Author.

After each event a financial statement has been prepared showing in full detail both receipts and expenditures. Every donation of money sent to the field and every one of the supplies, so far as could be identified, has had individual acknowledgment.

Red Cross Committee, By WALTER P. PHILLIPS, _Chairman_. SAMUEL L. JARVIS, J. B. HUBBELL, House Document, No. 552, Vol. 49, 58th Congress.

_In re_ Clara Barton’s business methods,—although the exigencies of the situation rendered the distribution one of great difficulty, it has been done so wisely, prudently and effectively, as not only to accomplish its purpose but to excite the admiration of all who are personally conversant with it. Red Cross Committee, in Official Communication to Congress, House Document, No. 552, Vol. 49, 58th Congress.

The Red Cross has set in motion the wheels of relief at a moment’s warning over the whole land. CLARA BARTON.

It has been my custom, as the head of the organization which has grown up around me, to reach a field of great disaster in the shortest possible time, regarding neither weather, night, nor Sunday.

CLARA BARTON.

IN DETAILS—CLARA BARTON, A BUSINESS MANAGER—WORLD’S RECORD

On Christmas Eve, 1899, there arrived for Clara Barton at her Glen Echo home, besides letters, more than a bushel basket full of presents. These presents were from various parts of the world. One of them from Cuba was a large cocoanut with her name and address burned with a hot iron, the cocoanut plastered with postage stamps. The other presents were in packages. From these her secretary commenced to cut the strings. “Don’t do that, General; untie the strings. I save all the strings; we may need them.” Following her custom the General then untied the strings, looped the ends together in every case and so continuing until each bunch was about six inches long; then he tied the bunches respectively with a loose bow-knot. All the bunches so arranged were then taken upstairs into one of the small rooms of the house and there hung on nails for future use. Red, white, and blue strings to the number of perhaps thousands were thus hung on the row of nails on the wall, the whole length of the room. Whenever a string of a certain length was wanted she would take from the nail a bunch of the length needed at that particular time.

Equally methodical was she with wrapping paper. She ironed out the paper and folded it, placing the papers respectively on shelves; the papers likewise were classified as to size, and this including corrugated paper. She would remind her assistants that it is not the value of the strings and the paper but the certain need of them; and being saved and thus classified, time would be saved when the need came. Spools of thread, needles, thimbles, hosiery, garments, shoes, or whatever else used by her in her work, were in like manner classified and through a system as nearly perfect as in the best arranged store in the world.

In 1893 occurred the Sea Islands Hurricane and Tidal Wave Disaster. Thirty thousand people were homeless in consequence. Clara Barton, with her four Red Cross assistants, was in charge. Admiral Beardslee, of the U. S. Navy, volunteered as a “helper.” He made notes, and later a report, on the Red Cross work there. He reported that for a desk Clara Barton had a dry goods box; for a bed, a cot; that she had systematic and businesslike methods; that books were kept and every penny, or penny’s worth, were accounted for;—that what had been contributed by the people was honestly and intelligently placed where it would do most good.

General Leonard F. Ross, of Civil War record and of large affairs, was in Cuba at the sinking of the “Maine.” Clara Barton accepted his proffered services as superintendent of the warehouse. The General said Miss Barton had a perfect business system—such a system as he had not seen equalled. General W. R. Shafter, in charge of the American forces in the Spanish-American War, commending Clara Barton, said that in relieving distress and saving life no Governmental red tape system could possibly be as effective as Clara Barton’s sensible, business methods, in Cuba. United States Senator Redfield Proctor was not only a statesman but also a business man, handling successfully millions of dollars in business annually. He was chairman of the Senate Committee, to make investigations in Cuba. In his official report, in his speech to the Senate, he eulogized Clara Barton in highest terms. The Senator told the Senate that Clara Barton could give him points in business; that she needed no commendation from him; that he found in her conduct of the business affairs of the Red Cross there was nothing to criticise, but everything to commend her to the American people.

The storm and tidal wave had struck Galveston. Clara Barton received the news in the evening. A moment’s warning was all that was necessary. At once she took counsel with her secretary. “General, what are we going to?”

HER BUSINESS RECORD

Secretary: “Well, Miss Barton, we are going to an awful scene of death and destruction.”

Miss Barton: “Yes, but what are we going to; we are going to nothing, aren’t we?”

Secretary: “I suppose we are, Miss Barton.”

Miss Barton: “Why, at Johnstown I hunted a half day and couldn’t find a thimble with which to do some sewing. Here, General, take these keys and go through the house and whenever you find anything that can be used _where there is nothing_, you pack it up.”

The secretary took the keys, went through the house of thirty-eight rooms and seventy-six closets. He found carefully stored away supplies of every description. He found packing-chests, trunks, valises and telescopes all ready for use—everything imaginable at hand. Miss Barton and her secretary worked all night. The next morning two great dray-loads of goods were _en route_ to the railway station, and Galveston. Arriving at Galveston she asked: “Mr. Mayor, have ward committees been organized?”

Mayor Jones: “No, Miss Barton.”

Miss Barton: “How many wards are there in the city?”

Mayor Jones: “Twelve.”

Miss Barton: “Do go at once and organize strong committees in every ward; provide ward headquarters, and a store-room where every ward committee can take charge of supplies furnished. Have your ward committees canvass every ward thoroughly and get the name of every person and what he needs—the food necessary and in case of clothing the exact size of the clothing. Then have your committees make requisition for what is needed on the Red Cross at its headquarters. My corps of helpers will see that these requisitions are promptly filled, and the goods sent to ward headquarters for distribution.”

Miss Barton then said to her helpers: “_Now we must work!_ Mr. Lewis, you go at once and secure a good saddle-horse, and direct the organization of Mayor Jones’ ward committees. General Sears, you go into the city and secure a headquarters building for the Red Cross. Mr. Talmage, you go to Houston and stay there until every delayed Red Cross car is forwarded to Galveston. Major McDowell, you go to the headquarters to take charge of the unpacking, the classifying, and the issuing of the supplies. Mr. Ward, you will go with Major McDowell to open up an office at the headquarters. Keep a careful book account of the receipts of all supplies and moneys. Mr. Marsh, you will go with Mr. Ward, to be his assistant. Mrs. Ward, you will stay by me to take such directions as I may have to give you from time to time. Miss Coombs, you are to be my stenographer and typewriter—you’ll find plenty to do to keep busy. Miss Spradling (a trained nurse), you arrange proper space for the opening up of an orphanage at headquarters building, then gather up all the homeless, uncared-for orphans in the city and take care of them. Every person in charge of work is expected to report to me daily, and hourly if necessary.” In less time than it takes the military commander to get his columns into action the woman, who had “the command of a general,” had humanity’s forces on the “firing line.”

Clara Barton possessed in the highest degree the elements necessary to succeed in business. She had the mental grasp of a great enterprise; she had executive ability; she inspired confidence in those serving with her; she was methodical in attention to details—without a superior in the business world; she was economical in her personal expenditures, exacting like economy on the part of her assistants;—ever anticipating the future by making wise provision. When much was at stake, and means necessary to accomplish her purposes, she was without limit as to expenditures. These elements, combined in her, gave to her the power she swayed as the business head of a great corporation.