Clara Barton is one of the most honored women in American history. She risked her life to take supplies and personal support to soldiers in battle during the Civil War. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881 at 60 years old and lead it for 23 years. Her lifetime of helping others guided her through a satisfied life. Through her service, she helped open paths to volunteer service. In this book, Clara will take you through her years of supporting wounded soldiers, or "her boys" and how she inspired others to volunteer.

When I was growing up in Massachusetts, I always knew I wanted to help others. After being a teacher for several years, I went to Washington D.C. when the Civil War began in 1861 and started my charity work and philanthropy as one of the first volunteers at the Washington Infirmary to care for wounded soldiers.

These young men were wounded and hungry. Some were even without bedding or clothing. I helped them by bringing supplies, such as food and clothing. I quickly realized I had grown up with some of these men. I even taught a few of them. These were my boys I had to take care of them.

Besides supplies, I even offered these men personal support to lift their spirits up. I would read to them, write them letters, and listen to their problems. That is when I realized where I was needed the most was not in Washington but in the battlefields.

I begged and begged the leaders of the government and of the army until  I was given a pass to bring my voluntary services and medical supplies to the scenes of battle and field hospitals.

Barton became know as an "angel on the battlefield."

I helped served the troops at the

battles of Fairfax Station, Chantilly, Harpers Ferry,

South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Charleston,

Petersburg and Cold Harbor. If I wasn't at the fight personally helping my boys, I wasn't happy.

I was around these boys so much I knew the inside and outside of their life. This became important that I knew where they were from because they had no way of communicating with their family back home who had no idea if they were dead or alive. I started to write letters myself to their families letting them know where they were at and that they were still breathing.

President Abraham Lincoln even addressed to the public about my offer to help families find their missing soldier. Lincoln wrote "To the Friends of Missing Persons: Miss Clara Barton has kindly offered to search for the missing prisoners of war. Please address her . . . giving her the name, regiment, and company of any missing prisoner.” I was more than happy to help answer over 63,000 letters and identify over 22,000 missing men.