resulted in fixing her country home at Dansville, N.Y., the seat of the
great Jackson and Austin Sanitarium and the acknowledged foundation of
the hundreds of health institutions of that kind which bless the country
to-day. The establishment of the National Red Cross in Washington had
attracted the attention of persons outside, who, of course, knew very
little of it; but among others, the people of Dansville, the home of the
president, felt that if she were engaged in some public movement, they
too might at least offer to aid. Accordingly, on her return to them in
midsummer, they waited upon her with a request to that effect, which
resulted in the formation of a society of the Red Cross, this being the
first body in aid of the National Association formed in the United
States. It is possible I cannot make that more clear than by giving an
extract from their report of that date, which was as follows:
In reply to your request, given through the secretary of your
association, that we make report to you concerning the inauguration
of our society, its subsequent proceedings and present condition,
the committee has the honor to submit the following statement:
Dansville, Livingston County, N.Y., being the country residence of
Miss Clara Barton, president of the American Association of the Red
Cross, its citizens, desirous of paying a compliment to her, and at
the same time of doing an honor to themselves, conceived the idea of
organizing in their town the first local society of the Red Cross
in the United States. To this end, a general preliminary meeting was
held in the Presbyterian Church, when the principles of the Treaty
of Geneva and the nature of its societies were defined in a clear
and practical manner by Miss Barton, who had been invited to address
the meeting. Shortly after, on the twenty-second of August, 1881, a
second meeting, for the purpose of organization, held in the
Lutheran Church and presided over by the pastor, Rev. Dr. Strobel,
was attended by the citizens generally, including nearly all the
religious denominations of the town, with their respective pastors.
The purpose of the meeting was explained by your president, a
constitution was presented and very largely signed, and officers
were elected.
Thus we are able to announce that on the eighteenth anniversary of
the Treaty of Geneva, in Switzerland, August 22, 1864, was formed
the first local society of the Red Cross in the United States of
America.
Almost immediately following this occurred the memorable forest fires of
Michigan, which raged for days, sweeping everything before them--man,
beast, forests, farms--every living thing, until in one report made of
it we find this sentence: "So sweeping has been the destruction that
there is not food left in its track for a rabbit to eat, and, indeed, no
rabbit to eat it, if there were." Here occurred the first opportunity
for work that the young society had found, and again I give without
further note their report:
Before a month had passed, before a thought of practical application
to business had arisen, we were forcibly and sadly taught again the
old lesson that we need but to build the altar, God will Himself
provide the sacrifice. If we did not hear the crackling of the
flames, our skies grew murky and dark and our atmosphere bitter with
the drifting smoke that rolled over from the blazing fields of our
neighbors of Michigan, whose living thousands fled in terror, whose
dying hundreds writhed in the embers, and whose dead blackened in
the ashes of their hard-earned homes. Instantly we felt the help and
strength of our organization, young and untried as it was. We were
grateful that in this first ordeal your sympathetic president was
with us. We were deeply grateful for your prompt call to action,
given through her, which rallied us to our work. Our relief rooms
were instantly secured and our white banner, with its bright scarlet
cross, which has never been furled since that hour, was thrown to
the breeze, telling to every looker-on what we were there to do, and
pointing to every generous heart an outlet for its sympathy. We had
not mistaken the spirit of our people; our scarce-opened doorway was
filled with men, women and children bearing their gifts of pity and
love. Tables and shelves were piled, our working committee of ladies
took every article under inspection, their faithful hands made all
garments whole and strong; lastly, each article received the stamp
of the society and of the Red Cross, and all were carefully and
quickly consigned to the firm packing cases awaiting them. Eight
large boxes were shipped at first, others followed directly, and so
continued until notified by the Relief Committee of Michigan that
no more were needed. Meanwhile the hands of our treasurer were not
left empty, some hundreds of dollars were deposited with him. A most
competent agent, our esteemed townsman and county clerk of
Livingston County, Major Mark J. Bunnell, was dispatched with the
first invoice of funds and charged with the duty of the reception of
the supplies, their proper distribution and of making direct report
of the condition and needs of the sufferers.
The good practical judgment of the people and society led them to
consider the near approach of winter and the unsheltered condition
of the victims, bereft of every earthly possession, and warm
clothing and bedding were sent in great abundance. Our cases were
all marked with the Red Cross and consigned to Senator Omar D.
Conger, of Port Huron, who led the call of the Michigan committee
and to whom, as well as to his kindhearted and practical wife, we
are indebted for many timely suggestions and words of grateful
appreciation.
In a spirit of gratitude and hope we submit this partial report of
our first work under the Red Cross, which can be but partial, as our
rooms are still open and our work is in progress awaiting such
further calls as may come to us. We are grateful that we are called,
grateful that your honored President, with the acquired skill of the
humane labors of many years in many lands, was with us to counsel
and instruct. We are glad to have learned from this early object
lesson the value of organized effort and the value of our own
organization.
We hope our report may be satisfactory to you, and that our
beautiful little valley town, quietly nestling among the green
slopes of the Genesee Valley, after having offered the first fruits
of the Red Cross to its own countrymen, may always be as prompt and
generous in any call of yours for suffering humanity.
The neighboring city of Rochester, forty miles to the north of
Dansville, hearing of the activity of its smaller neighbor in the great
disaster that was paralyzing all, desired also to unite in the work and
knowing much less even than Dansville of what the Red Cross might mean,
still desired to act with it, if possible; and appended herewith will be
found their report, which will best tell their story.
Influential citizens of Rochester, Monroe County, N.Y., having
become interested in the subject of the Treaty of Geneva and the Red
Cross work going on in Dansville, sent a request through the mayor
of the city to Miss Clara Barton to address them in a public
meeting. Miss Barton met an audience of thinking, philanthropic men
and women, to whom it was a pleasure to unfold her theme. The result
was a proposition to organize a society before adjournment.
Accordingly names were pledged, and, the second evening after, a
constitution was adopted and officers were elected, Edward M. Moore,
M.D., president....
Steps were immediately taken for reducing to practice the theory of
their newly formed society, and in three days from the commencement
of its existence its agent, Professor J.B. Hubbell, was on the burnt
fields of Michigan with instructions to examine into the condition
of the people and report their necessities to the society from
actual observation. These duties were faithfully and judiciously
performed, and on the day following his report of the special need
of money the sum of $2500 in cash was forwarded as a first
installment. At last reports the sum raised amounted to $3807.28 and
the society numbered 250 members. It is evident that no full report
can be made concerning a movement of which only the first steps are
taken, and which is still in active operation, but it is believed
that the instances are rare when, with no distress of its own as an
incentive, but from the simple motive of benevolence, a people has
accomplished so much, both in organization and practical results, in
so brief a space of time.
Following close on the organization in Rochester, the citizens of the
sister city of Syracuse and vicinity, in Onondaga County, N.Y., met at
the Board of Trade rooms and perfected their organization under the
above name. Rev. Dr. Richmond Fiske, a widely known philanthropist,
prominently connected with the principal charities of the city, assisted
by Professor G.F. Comfort, of the Syracuse University, led the movement.
The constitution, embracing in admirable form the principles of the
Geneva Convention, was signed by a large number present and officers
were appointed representing the names of the leading people of the city.
These were the first steps of the American National Association of the
Red Cross in relief work and in the organization of auxiliary societies.
The completion of this work, which may have seemed premature and
preliminary, left the association free to continue its efforts with the
Government of the United States on behalf of its accession to the
treaty.
MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVER FLOODS--1882.
The spring rise of the waters of the Mississippi brought great
devastation and a cry went over the country in regard to the sufferings
of the inhabitants of the Mississippi valley. For hundreds of miles the
great river was out of its bed and raging madly over the country,
sweeping in its course not only the homes but often the people, the
animals, and many times the land itself. This constituted a work of the
relief clearly within the bounds of the civil part of our treaty, and
again we prepared for work. Again our infant organization sent its field
agent, Dr. Hubbell, to the scene of disaster, where millions of acres of
the richest valley, cotton and sugar lands of America, and thousands
upon thousands of homes under the waters of the mightiest of
rivers--where the swift rising floods overtook alike man and beast in
their flight of terror, sweeping them ruthlessly to the gulf beyond, or
leaving them clinging in famishing despair to some trembling roof or
swaying tree top till relief could reach and rescue them.
The National Association, with no general fund, sent of its personal
resources what it was able to do, and so acceptable did these prove and
so convincing were the beneficences of the work that the cities of
Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans desired to be permitted to form
associate societies and work under the National Association. This was
permitted, and those societies have remained until the present time, New
Orleans organizing for the entire State of Louisiana. The city of
Rochester, proud and grateful of its success in the disaster a few
months before, again came to the front and again rendered excellent
service.
It was a singular fact that on the first day of March, 1882, while the
National Association was in session busily engaged in devising ways and
means for extending the relief which to them seemed so needed and so
slender, a messenger came from the Senate of the United States to
announce to them that the vote had been taken and that the United
States had acceded to the Treaty of Geneva without a dissenting voice.
This closed a meeting joyfully which had opened with many misgivings.
Fresh courage and hope were taken and every energy called into action
for the furtherance of the work which seemed then fairly commenced.
In the spring of 1883 occurred the first great rise of the _Ohio_ River;
1000 miles in extent. This river, although smaller than the Mississippi,
is more rapid in its course, and its valleys hold the richest grain
lands, the most cultivated farms and representing, in fact, the best
farming interests of America.
The destruction of property was even greater here than in the cotton and
cane lands of the Mississippi. Again our field agent was dispatched and
did excellent work. The entire country was aroused, and so liberal were
the contributions to the various committees of relief that when Dr.
Hubbell retired from the field, having completed the work, he had still
unexpended funds in hand. But they were soon needed.
MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA CYCLONE
In less than a month occurred the fearful cyclone of Louisiana and
Mississippi, which cut a swath clear of all standing objects for thirty
miles in width and several hundred miles in length, running southeast
from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
Our special agent for the South, Colonel F.R. Southmayd, took charge of
the Red Cross relief in this disaster, and so efficient was his work
that societies struggled for organization under him and the Red Cross
was hailed as a benediction wherever he passed. This was in May, 1883.
Our association now enjoyed for eight months a respite from active work.
It was surely needed. It was the longest rest we had yet known, and
afforded some small opportunity to gather up its records of past labors,
organize some societies and compile a history of the Red Cross, so much
needed for the information of our people and so earnestly asked for by
them as well as by the United States Senate. From this history the
preceding pages of this book have been extracted.
[Illustration: CLARA BARTON.
Taken about 1884.]
[Illustration: Copyright, 1898, by Clara Barton.
"JOSH V. THROOP."
_The first steamer used in the United States by the
American Red Cross, 1884._]
THE OHIO RIVER FLOODS.
But the respite was all too short for our purposes. The rapidly melting
snows of February, 1884, brought the one thousand miles of the Ohio
River again out of its bed. A wild cry went out all over the country for
help. The government, through Congress, took immediate action and
appropriated several hundred thousand dollars for relief, to be applied
through the War Department. The Red Cross agents must again repair to
the field, its societies be again notified.
But its president felt that if she were to be called every year to
direct the relief work of the association in these inundations it was
incumbent upon her to visit the scene in person, to see for herself what
floods were like, to learn the necessities and be able to direct with
the wisdom born of actual knowledge of the subject; and accordingly,
with ten hours' preparation, she joined Dr. Hubbell on his way and
proceeded to Pittsburg, the head of the Ohio River. There the societies
were telegraphed that Cincinnati would be headquarters and that money
and supplies should be sent there. This done, we proceeded to Cincinnati
by rail.
Any description of this city upon our entrance would fall so far short
of the reality as to render it useless.
The surging river had climbed up the bluffs like a devouring monster and
possessed the town; large steamers could have plied along its business
streets; ordinary avocations were abandoned. Bankers and merchants stood
in its relief houses and fed the hungry populace, and men and women were
out in boats passing baskets of food to pale, trembling hands stretched
out to reach it from third story windows of the stately blocks and
warehouses of that beautiful city. Sometimes the water soaked away the
foundations and the structure fell with a crash and was lost in the
floods below; in one instance seven lives went out with the falling
building; and this was one city, and probably the best protected and
provided locality in a thousand miles of thickly populated country.
It had not been my intention to remain at the scene of disaster, but
rather to see, investigate, establish an agency and return to national
headquarters at Washington, which in the haste of departure had been
left imperfectly cared for. But I might almost say, in military
parlance, that I was "surprised and captured."
I had made no call beyond the Red Cross societies--expected no supplies
from other sources--but scarcely had news of our arrival at Cincinnati
found its way to the public press when telegrams of money and checks,
from all sides and sources, commenced to come in, with letters
announcing the sending of material. The express office and freight
depots began filling up until within two weeks we were compelled to open
large supply rooms, which were generously tendered to the use of the Red
Cross. A description could no more do justice to our flood of supplies
than to the flood of waters which had made them necessary--cases,
barrels and bales of clothing, food, household supplies, new and old;
all that intelligent awakened sympathy could suggest was there in such
profusion that, so far from thinking of leaving it one must call all
available help for its care and distribution.
The government would supply the destitute people with food, tents and
army blankets, and had placed its military boats upon the river to
rescue the people and issue rations until the first great need should be
supplied.
The work of the Red Cross is supplemental and it sought for the special
wants likely to be overlooked in this great general supply and the
necessities _outside_ the limits of governmental aid. The search was not
difficult. The government provided neither fuel nor clothing. It was but
little past midwinter. A cyclone struck the lower half of the river with
the water at its greatest height and whole villages were swept away in a
night. The inhabitants escaped in boats, naked and homeless. Hail fell
to the depth of several inches and the entire country was encased in
sleet and ice. The water had filled the coal mines so abundant in that
vicinity until no fuel could be obtained. The people were more likely to
freeze than starve and against this there was no provision.
We quickly removed our headquarters from Cincinnati to Evansville, three
hundred miles below and at the head of the recent scene of disaster. A
new staunch steamer of four hundred tons burden was immediately
chartered and laden to the water's edge with clothing and coal; good
assistants, both men and women were taken on board; the Red Cross flag
was hoisted and as night was setting in, after a day of intense
cold--amid surging waters and crashing ice, the floating wrecks of towns
and villages, great uprooted giants of the forest plunging madly to the
sea, the suddenly unhoused people wandering about the river banks, or
huddled in strange houses with fireless hearths--the clear-toned bell
and shrill whistle of the "Josh V. Throop" announced to the generous
inhabitants of a noble city that from the wharves of Evansville was
putting out the first Red Cross relief boat that ever floated on
American waters.
The destroyed villages and hamlets lay thick on either bank, and the
steamer wove its course diagonally from side to side calling the people
to the boat, finding a committee to receive and distribute, and learning
as nearly as possible the number of destitute persons, put off the
requisite quantity of clothing and coal, and steamed away quickly and
quietly leaving sometimes an astonished _few_, sometimes a _multitude_
to gaze after and wonder who she was, whence she came, what that strange
flag meant, and most of all, to thank God with tears and prayers for
what she brought.
In this manner the Red Cross proceeded to Cairo, a distance of four
hundred miles, where the Ohio joins the Mississippi River, which latter
at that time had not risen and was exciting no apprehension. Returning,
we revisited and resupplied the destitute points. The government boats
running over the same track were genial and friendly with us, and
faithful and efficient in their work.
It should be said that, notwithstanding all the material we had shipped
and distributed, so abundant had been the liberality of the people that
on our return to Evansville we found our supply greater than at any
previous time.
At this moment, and most unexpectedly, commenced the great rise of the
Mississippi River, and a _second_ cry went out to the government and the
people for instant help. The strongest levees were giving way under the
sudden pressure, and even the inundation of the city of New Orleans was
threatened. Again the government appropriated money, and the War
Department sent out its rescue and ration boats, and again the Red Cross
prepared for its supplemental work.
In an overflow of the Mississippi, owing to the level face of the
country and the immense body of water, the valley is inundated at times
thirty miles in width, thus rendering it impossible to get animals to a
place of safety. Great numbers drown and the remainder, in a prolonged
overflow, have largely starved, the government having never included the
domestic animals in its work of relief. This seemed an omission of
vital importance, both humanely and economically considered, and the Red
Cross prepared to go to the relief of the starving animals of the
Mississippi valley. It would also supply clothing to the destitute
people whom the government would feed.
The navigation of the Mississippi River calls for its own style of boats
and pilotage, the latter being both difficult and dangerous, especially
with the changed channels and yawning crevasses of a flood.
The steamer "Throop" was left at Evansville and the "Mattie Bell"
chartered at St. Louis and laden with corn, oats, hay, meal and salt for
cattle; clothing and cooking utensils for the destitute people; tea,
coffee, rice, sugar and medicines for the sick: and as quickly as
possible followed the government steamers leaving the same port with
rations of meat and meal. These latter boats kindly burdened themselves
with large quantities of our forage which _our_ overladen boat could not
contain.
We soon found that our judgment in regard to the condition of the
animals had been correct. Horses, mules, cows, sheep and pigs had been
hastily gotten upon floating rafts and platforms of logs raised above
the water, or had taken refuge, as many as could, on the narrow strips
of land, known as broken levees, say eight to twelve feet in width, just
peering above the water; and here they stood often crowded beyond the
possibility of lying down, with no morsel of food save the wee green
leaves and tips of the willow branches and gray moss which their pitying
owners, largely poor negroes, could gather in skiffs and bring to them.
Day by day they stood and wasted, starved, and their bodies floated down
the stream, food for the birds of prey hovering above. Week after week
hour after hour the mighty river, pouring through its monster crevasses,
spread wider and wider every hour. We left our steamer at times and were
rowed out in little boats for miles alongside of the levees, and went
among the cattle. Some waded out into the water to their backs to reach
after the green scum which gathered and swam delusively upon the
surface. Some, unable to stand, lay stretched at length with head and
horns dabbling in the mud, fearlessly turning great pitiful eyes upon us
as we approached. Others, reeling, followed us tamely about, as if
beseeching us to feed them. I need not add that they were fed.
Committees of both white and colored persons were formed and the
requisite quantity of food for the animals and clothing for the people
were left with these committees at every needy point. Our steamer was
reladen, or our supplies replenished at each available port, and in
this manner we passed to New Orleans, and returning, resupplied our
committees.
The necessity for a change of boat on the Ohio and Mississippi has been
mentioned; that the "Throop" was discharged at Evansville and the Red
Cross body passed over to St. Louis. Perhaps some reference to the
journals of that date would best illustrate the necessity for these
movements, as well as the spirit of the people and of the times.
From an editorial in the Chicago _Inter-Ocean_ of March 31, 1884, the
following extract is taken: