Miss Clara Barton, president of the American National Red Cross, is about to proceed to Tampa and Key West at which latter point she will go aboard the “State of Texas” upon its arrival there.
Upon reaching Key West Miss Barton, as the person in charge of the relief expedition, will report to such naval officer as you may designate and take from him directions as to the movements of the “State of Texas” from that point on.
I have the honor to commend Miss Barton to the kind attentions of your Department in order that she may receive, before leaving Washington, such instructions as you may deem it necessary and proper to give her.
Respectfully yours,
John Sherman,
Secretary.
With these credentials, the President and staff of the American National Red Cross immediately proceeded to Key West, and, after reporting to the commandant of the naval station and to the representative of Admiral Sampson, the party boarded the “State of Texas” and awaited an opportunity to carry out the mission of the Red Cross.
During the year prior to the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Spain, Cuban families were fleeing from the island, and this exodus continued until war began. The refugees, numbering several thousand, took up their abode at Tampa, Key West and other Atlantic and gulf ports. They had been obliged to leave their native country hastily, leaving nearly all their personal property behind them, and in a short time after their arrival in America were actually without food and with no means wherewith to purchase it.
Committees and agents of the Red Cross were established in both Tampa and Key West, and acting as the distributing agencies for the supplies forwarded by the Central Cuban Relief Committee, the refugees were cared for. In Key West the number supplied with food from the warehouse and kitchen of the Red Cross were over seventeen hundred people, and the distribution still continues. Key West has been one of the most important distributing stations, and from the beginning has been under the efficient direction of Mr. George W. Hyatt, for whose continuous and faithful service the Red Cross is much indebted.
The distributing station was kept constantly supplied by the Central Cuban Relief Committee, and when the stock began to run low in the latter part of July, the committee dispatched the schooner “Nokomis” from New York with 125 tons of assorted provisions to replenish the storehouse.
Before the “State of Texas” arrived at Key West, war had been declared between the United States and Spain, and soon after the prize ships, schooners, steamers and fishing smacks, captured off the Cuban coast began to come in, in tow, or in charge of prize crews. The navy worked rapidly and brought in their prizes so quickly that the government officials were not prepared to feed the prisoners of war. On the ninth of May the United States Marshal for the southern district of Florida made the following appeal:
Miss Clara Barton,
President, American National Red Cross: