Question: How did Clara Barton save 500 wounded soldiers after a Civil War battle? Answer: With light! She brought dozens of lanterns to light a dark farmhouse so that doctors could see to care for the troops. Clara wanted to fight in the U.S. army, but she couldn't because she was a woman. Instead, she braved bullets and cannonballs to help nurse thousands of soldiers. She wasn't trained as a doctor, but she once performed surgery with her pocketknife. She started the American Red Cross to help victims of wars, floods, and fires, and ran it until she was 80 years old!