Clara Barton led the campaign to establish the American Red Cross and became its founding president in 1881. She guided the organization’s effort in Cuba in 1898, arriving in Siboney on July 1, and working alongside the U.S. Army through early September. Tensions ensued because the American Red Cross, an independent organization, did not consider itself subject to military orders. 

When the Spanish surrendered that December, Barton stayed in Santiago to aid both soldiers and the civilian population. In the 1950s, the city of Santiago placed a commemorative bust of Barton in La Alameda Park to honor her service.