Clara Barton to the American People
Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly
By Reverend Peter MacQueen
c 1898

Page 5 of 7

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.

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…”

Clara Barton National Historic Site, CLBA 4512