The Cumberland Mountain Civil War Round Table hosting a living history performance Wednesday at the Palace Theater in Crossville featuring a portrayal of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton.
Historian Leslie Goddard will debut in her portrayal of the legendary Civil War nurse. Goddard said the presentation focuses on how Barton served as a direct link between civilians wanting to help and soldiers lacking supplies on the battlefield.
“It’s a story that lends itself to a costumed portrayal because it’s an emotional story,” Goddard said. “She would show up at a battlefield and there would be wounded soldiers lying on the ground and, you know, no beds, just straw, and surgeons providing doing surgery with no bandages.”
Goddard said the story serves as an educational tool to demonstrate how one individual can create significant change through sheer will.
Goddard said Barton initially viewed her role as a supplier of basic necessities like spoons, candles, and handkerchiefs before transitioning into battlefield nursing. Goddard said the Civil War marked the first time women stepped forward in large numbers to provide medical and emotional support to wounded troops.
“Clara herself was very proud of the fact that she was working in field hospitals,” Goddard said. “Florence Nightingale who was, you know, renowned and did incredible work, she was working in hospitals hundreds of miles from the from the front lines. Clara would just load up her wagons and go right to the front lines and she was there on the battlefields and that was that took a lot.”
Goddard said Barton was often overlooked in Civil War histories compared to larger organizations like the Sanitary Commission. Goddard said the act includes specific details about the period, such as the use of corn leaves as bandages at the Battle of Antietam.
“There was one soldier who was dying, young guy, you know, barely just a teenager, and he’d been shot in the abdomen,” Goddard said. “The surgeons came to her and said could you go out there he’s waiting for his sister to arrive and she won’t get here in time. And she went out and sat down with this kid. She said her his hair was matted and she just held him and in her account he thought she was his sister and was there with him at his last moments. Just really really powerful stuff.”
Goddard said Barton later established the American Red Cross after learning about the International Red Cross while recovering from health issues in Europe. Goddard said Barton was responsible for expanding the organization’s mission to include disaster relief for hurricanes, floods, and fires.
“To me she really does embody a certain kind of American spirit,” Goddard said. “You know where there’s a job to be done you step in and get it done. It’s kind of the best of what we are as Americans.”
Goddard said the costume used in the performance reflects the practical needs of a Civil War nurse, including a gray dress to hide stains and the absence of a hoop skirt to avoid snagging bandages.
Tickets for Wednesday’s show cost $19 including fees.