George William Baird (December 13, 1839 – November 26, 1906) was a US Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Indian Wars.

Early life

Baird was born on December 13, 1839, in Milford, Connecticut. He graduated from

Hopkins Grammar School Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational, day school for grades 7–12 located in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1660, Edward Hopkins, seven-time governor of the Connecticut Colony, bequeathed a portion of his estate to found s ...

in 1859, and later entered Yale University. Despite leaving Yale prior to graduation to fight in the American Civil War, he would receive his diploma in 1863.

Military career

Baird joined the 1st Connecticut Light Artillery Battery in August 1862, and served with the unit until March 1864, when he was appointed colonel of volunteers of the

32nd United States Colored Infantry The 32nd United States Colored Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was composed of African American enlisted men commanded by white officers and was authorized by the Bureau ...

. He mustered out with his regiment in August 1865, and was appointed as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

of the 19th Infantry Regiment in May 1866. From 1871 to 1879, he served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the 5th Infantry Regiment, commanded by Nelson A. Miles (Baird later wrote the book ''General Miles's Indian Campaigns: On the Staked Plains''.), and served under him in the Nez Perce War. He became deputy paymaster general with the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in July 1899. Baird was eventually promoted to brigadier general on February 19, 1903, the day before his retirement.

Death

Baird died on November 26, 1906, in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, and was buried in his hometown of Milford, Connecticut.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At

Bear Paw Mountains The Bears Paw Mountains (Bear Paw Mountains, Bear's Paw Mountains or Bearpaw Mountains) are an insular-montane island range in the Central Montana Alkalic Province in north-central Montana, United States, located approximately 10 miles south of ...

, Mont., September 30, 1877. Entered service at: Milford, Conn. Birth: Milford, Conn. Date of issue: November 27, 1894. ;Citation

Most distinguished gallantry in action with the Nez Perce Indians.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, George W. 1839 births 1906 deaths United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Union Army colonels United States Army generals American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Connecticut United States Army paymasters People from Milford, Connecticut Yale University alumni Hopkins School alumni