BAIRD, Absalom (1824—). An American soldier. He was born at Washington. Pa., graduated at West Point in 1849, served in 1850-51 as first lieutenant of artillery in the Seminole War, was assistant professor of mathematics at the Military Academy, in 1853-59, and from 1859 to 1861 was on garrison and frontier duty. During the Civil War he served in the Peninsular campaign. in Tennessee, and in the Atlanta campaign, and in 1865 was brevetted major-general U.S.A. In 1866-68 he was inspector-general of the Department of the Lakes; in 1868-70 of the Department of Dakota; in 1870-72 of the Division of the South; and in 1872-81, and in 1885, of the Division of the Missouri. From 1885 until he was retired in 1888, he was staff insepector-general, with the rank of brigadier-general.
BAIRD, Charles Washington (1828-87). A Presbyterian scholar. He was born at Princeton, N. J.; a son of Robert; graduated at the University of the City of New York (now New York University) in 1848, and at Union Theological Seminary in 1852; American Chaplain in Rome, 1852-54; pastor of a Reformed Dutch church in Brooklyn, 1859-61; after that time pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Rye, N. Y. He is the author of Eutaxia, or the Presbyterian Liturgies (New York, 1855); A Book of Public Prayer (1857); A History of Rye (New York, 1871); Bedford Church (1882); and especially A History of the Huguenot Emigration to America (New York, 1885, 2 vols.). Unhappily he did not live to carry out his plans for this extensive and valuable work.
BAIRD, Sir David (1757-1829). A British general. He was born December 6, 1757, at Newbyth, Scotland. He was left fatherless at an early age. His mother procured his entry to the army in 1772, as ensign in the Second Foot, and he joined his regiment at Gibraltar in 1773. In 1778 he received his lieutenancy, and in the same year, on account of his distinguished bearing and great height, was appointed by Lord Macleod, a family friend, to be captain of the Seventy-third Grenadier Regiment, afterwards famous as the Seventy-first Highland Light Infantry. He served in British India, 1780-89. In September, 1780, at Perambucum, heroically fighting against overwhelming odds, he was severely wounded, taken prisoner, and held captive by Hyder Ali. Released in March, 1784, he became, in 1787, major in his regiment, and in 1789 returned to England. In 1790 he purchased the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment, but owing to the delay of his agent in this transaction, on two subsequent occasions lost the succession as commander-in-chief of the army. In 1791 he returned to India, and after some minor service, in 1799 led the storming party at Seringapatam, having obtained that perilous honor at his own urgent request. Colonel Wellesley (afterwards Duke of Wellington) commanding the reserve. His merit was acknowledged by the home Government. In the following year he was appointed to the command of an expedition against Batavia, which was, however, afterwards sent to Egypt. On his return to India, he found that the star of Wellesley was in the ascendant: and Baird, who had already complained of the preference given to that officer, and who was, besides, of opinion that his own merits were constantly overlooked, applied for leave of absence, and sailed for Europe in 1803. He was received at court with great distinction, knighted in June, 1804, and made a K.C.B. in the following August. In 1805 he commanded an expedition against the Dutch Settlements at the Cape of Good Hope. which was successful; in 1807 he commanded a division at the siege of Copenhagen; and in 1808 was sent to Spain with an army of 10,000 men to assist Sir John Moore. He distinguished himself in the battle of Corunna, January 16, 1809, when his left arm was shattered by grape-shot and had to be amputated. Moore was killed in the action, and Sir David succeeded to the chief command, and had the honor of communicating the intelligence of the victory to Government. On this occasion he received, for the fourth time in his life, the thanks of Parliament, and was created a baronet. He retired from active service in 1810, and was made commander of the forces in Ireland in 1820. He died August 18, 1829. Consult: Hook, Life of General Sir David Baird (London, 1832); Gore, Character of Sir David Baird (London, 1883).
BAIRD, Henry Carey (1825—). An American political economist, born at Bridesburg, Pa. He received an academic education. From 1845 to 1849 he was a member of the publishing-house of Carey & Baird, of Philadelphia, and in the latter year reorganized the firm as Henry Carey, Baird & Co. In politics he was first a Whig and then a Republican. In 1875 he became a leader of the Greenback party, which nominated him for State treasurer of Pennsylvania and for mayor of Philadelphia. The former nomination he declined. He also supports the free-silver cause and the Protectionists' doctrines. His publications include contributions to works of reference on banking, money, and economies, and similar discussions in periodicals. A collection of his works was published at Philadelphia in 1875.
BAIRD, Henry Martin (1832—). An American historian and educator. He was born in Philadelphia; graduated at New York University in 1850; traveled in Greece and Italy; and from 1855 to 1859 was tutor at Princeton. In 1859 he became professor of the Greek language and literature in New York University. He is distinguished for his researches in the history of the Huguenots. Among his works are: History of the Rise of the Huguenots in France (1879); The Huguenots and Henry of Navarre (1886); The Huguenots and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1895). These three works comprise, in six volumes, a succinct history of French Protestantism from 1512 to 1802, which has been admired by both American and Continental scholars as a model of thoroughness and judicial fairness.
BAIRD. Robert (1798-1863). An American clergyman and author. He was born in Fayette County, Pa., and graduated at Jefferson College in 1818. He passed several years in Europe, where he labored especially for temperance and the revival and consolidation of evangelical Protestantism. He was agent and secretary of the American and Foreign Christian Union. His works include: A History of Temperance Societies in the United States (1836); A View of Religion in America (1842); Protestantism in
