Notes about Clara Barton and the Cuban Reconcentrados by Thomas from NY

At age 77, Clara Barton went to Cuba to provide medical relief to the reconcentrados. In the Cuban Independence War, the Spanish Army was failing in its fight against the Cuban Army. The Spanish decided to separate civilians from the insurgents. While estimates vary, a rough measure is about 30% of the population were put into reconcentration camps of which about 40% died (estimates range from 200,000 to over 400,000 people died).

On February 9, 1898, Barton arrived in Cuba, and on February 14th, she was the guest of honor and dined on board the U.S. Navy Ship ”USS Maine.” The next day, the USS Maine blew up killing 260 people out of 400. She provided medical support to the survivors.

Afterwards she began to help the reconcentrados. She saw no activity of the people of any sort, just “want and woe.” She called the reconcentrados “skeletons.” When Barton went to Jaruca, Cuba, she learned that just about the entire population had died. For those still alive, she brought relief through her discipline of order and cleanliness. In late March, due to the Spanish American War, she was told to leave Cuba.

After meetings with President McKinley and the Secretary of the Navy, she obtained permission to go back to Cuba to help the soldiers. In June, she went back to Cuba. The ship, “State of Texas,” went to Santiago de Cuba and then to Guantanamo. She provided medical relief to the soldiers including the Rough Riders. At 77 years old, she was working 16 hours a day. Dr. Hubbell, Chief of Red Cross field agents and a friend, reported, “it seems a marvel when we think of all the mental as well as physical strain which she has endured during the past months of Cuban work.”

— from Thomas’ Notes