The American Civil War resulted in a profound shift on society and individuals, including the nurse and humanitarian Clara Barton (1821–1912). From the first bloodshed in Maryland in the first year of the war, she was committed to helping wounded soldiers, some of whom she had known personally. She provided medical assistance, dressed wounds, provided food and aid, and offered emotional support to those who needed it. After the war, she helped open the Office of Missing Soldiers to locate, identify, and bury soldiers who had been killed or missing in action. It was her experience during the American Civil War that led her to start the American Red Cross, the American branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross. During peacetime, she coordinated efforts with local officials in the United States and abroad to offer assistance wherever the Red Cross was needed. This evolution of the Red Cross is apparent during the Spanish–American War, as the Red Cross came to the aid not just of U.S. soldiers but also of refugees and prisoners of war. The Red Cross in Peace and War depicts the evolution of the Red Cross and the stories and accounts that helped develop the Red Cross into what it is today.