The Clara Barton Papers consist of 4 linear feet of correspondence, printed material, manuscript notes, speeches, writings, photographs, and memorabilia. The bulk of the papers date from 1860 to 1912. There are two separate accessions. The first consists of writings, correspondence, and memorabilia collected as sources by Rev. William Barton for his biography of his cousin. It contains memorabilia, clippings, and organizational records from Clara Barton's work in the Civil War, Red Cross, and other relief organizations, as well as material of a more personal nature, including correspondence between Barton her friends and family. Barton was very much interested in spiritualism and there is material about this in SERIES I and II.

The second accession, incorporated as SERIES VI, contains material related to Mary Kensel and Roscoe Wells and their relationship to Clara Barton, the National First Aid Association of America, and the Red Cross. Clara Barton gave a portion of the material to her secretary Mary Kensel Wells who supplemented the papers with her own family material. It then appears that Sally Hooper, who was given the papers by Mary Kensel Wells, used items for exhibit purposes and also added more recent material about Clara Barton

Although the bulk of Clara Barton's papers are located at the Library of Congress, the papers in the Sophia Smith Collection provide a significant insight into Barton's life and professional accomplishments. Personal correspondence, Civil War writings and memorabilia, and Red Cross material are of particular interest.

This collection is organized into six series:

• I. Biographical Material
• II. Correspondence
• III. Speeches and Writings
• IV. Civil War and Relief Activities
• V. Memorabilia and Photographs
• VI. Kensel-Wells Family