Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-22
BAIRD AT CHIcKAMAUaA.
CALAMITY and Endurance Of His Com
mand on That Heroic Field.

mand on That Heroic FIELD.
The recent death Of Gen. Ahsalom Baird.
L. s. A., gives interest to the following
clipping from a wartime newspaper con-
corning Gen. Bairds conduct at the battle
Of Chickamauga:
THE heroic endurance and courage OF
Thomas corps in the battle Of Chickamauga
has already won the admiration OF the
country. The division Of Brig Gen. Baird
took a prominent part in this struggle. ana
distinguished itself In the highest degree
For time his command and that OF Bran
nan bore the chief brunt of the battle. ana
although temporarily forced back and
dreadfully cut up. at nightfall with stern
determination, he resumed his ground ana
reformed his lines in the same position he
had occupied in the morning. After dark
the comma ndlng general thought 1t advis-
able to fall back to the position occupied by
our army en- Sunday. In the new order or
battle Bairds division. with Beatty's brig
ade of Negley's division. formed the ex-
IRENE left. being nearer to Chattanooga
than any other portion of our line.
Beatty placed his command In a single
line at right angles to that OF Baird to
cover the left flank. In the terrible battle
that soon ensued this brigade was driven In.
carrying with 1t part Of Baird's left. The
enemy were fast occupying position In
rear. to intercept the line OF retreat. Had
Gen. Baird given way at this Juncture the
whole army would In all probability have
been cut Off from It's base and destroyed
He proved himself fully equal to the occa-
sion While the battle was still raging on
his front he faced his second line about,
and with part Of JOhnson's command Wig
orously attacked the enemy who were In
the rear Of our army. and succeeded in
driving them away and regaining our line
of communications. He held this portion OF
the line successfully till pm, when he
q l,n ar,tt Mo
order was received. the enemy, encouraged
by the falling back OF our forces. assailed
him with ten-fold fury. and as his route lay
through an open field, his loss was very
much greater At night our forces were
united at Rossville. The next day Gen.
Rousseau arrived and reassumed command
Of his old division. The change of COM
manders was announced In the following
complimentary order from Gen Rosecrans:
Headquarters
Department of the Cumberland.
CHATTANOOGA. Tenn. Sept, 81. 1868.
SPECIAL Field Orders No. 2o1.-(Extract)
On the return of Maj. Gen. Rous-
seau from an important mission for the
benefit of the army. he resumed command
of his division Brig. Gen. A. Baird being
thus relieved from the temporary command
OF this division, the general commanding
tenders to him his thanks for the prudence
and ability which he displayed while In
command: for the unf1inching courage and
ability with which he carried his troops into
action on the 10th. and maintained his posi-
ton during the terrific fight of the Goth, in
the glorious battle Of Chickamauga.
by command of Maj. Gen. Rosecrans.
"'(SigneO HENRY NJ. CUT,
LIT. and A. A. A. G.
Gen. Baird has since been placed in com.
mand Of another division.
Gen. Baird Is Of Scotch descent He was
born in Washington. Pa. on the 10th of
August, 1924. His father was a lawyer of
I>rtI1 for,t toll nf md Ifyanr In n<Nvrv,
Pennsylvania. Judge Baird of Pittsburg is
his uncle. His grandfather, DR.. Osborn
Baird, was surgeon in the revolutionary
army. His great-grandfather. John Baird.
was killed at the taking Of Fort DuQuesne
by Gen. Forbes.
Gen. Baird graduated at Washington Col
lege, Pennsylvania. in 1871. He studied law
with the Hon. T. NJ T. McKennan, In the
same town. In 1916 he entered West Point,
and was graduated with high honors in
1S49. He was at once commissioned in the
LIST Regiment Of Artillery. and served in
Florida in 1850 and 1851, and in Texas in
1859. For several years he was assistant
professor Of mathematics at West Point
Among his classmates we find the names
Of the following Union generals: Gilmore
Parker. Saxton. Richard w. Johnson and
Macarthur. Few. II any, who gradual ted
that year appear to hold positions in the
rebel army.
He was appointed assistant adjutant
general, with the rank Of captain, In May,
1901, ana served curing tlat summer In the
War Department. taking part. however, in
the Bull Run campaign as chief of stan and
assistant adjutant general to Tylers d.
vision in this capacity he was present at
the battles Of Blackburn's Ford and Bull
Run. In November. 1851. he received the
appointment OF assistant inspector general,
with the rank of major.
Gen. Reyes having been assigned to the
command of new army corps, aware of
Maj Balrd's marked ability, knowledge of
the theory of war, and his administrative
talent. enhanced by considerable experience
in the War Department. applied for him as
chief OF staff. AS such he accompanied this
general to the peninsula.
He took part in the operations before
Yorktown, In front OF Lees Mills, and in
the battle OF Williamsburg. For distin-
guished services on these occasions he was
nominated to the Senate for q brevet
In April. 1862. he was appointed brig
adler general and assigned to duty with
Gen. Morgan. at Cumberland Gap upon the
urgent application OF the latter general. He
remained at the gap. and when Gen. Nor
gan found it necessary to fail back to the
Ohio river. Gen. Baird added much to his
well-earned reputation by the mastery
manner In which this retreat was con-
Quoted
I'm the fall of 1852 he was appointed to
take charge OF division In the army of
Kentucky. and remained in command at
Danyille during the winter. In 1868 he join
ed the army OF the Cumberland with his
division. which was at once attached to the
reserve corps under Maj. Gen. Gordon
Granger. Gen. Baird was assigned to Rous-
seau's division OF Thomas Corps Qst d.
vision, 14th Army Corps In August. Gen.
Rousseau being absent on duty. and retain
ed command OF 1t until after the battle OF
Chickamauga. It Is to the brilliant part
taken by Gen. Baird in that battle that we
are indebted IN q great measure for the
safety of our army and the continued pos
session of Chattanooga"