George Dashiell Bayard
Encyclopedia
George Dashiell Bayard was a career soldier in the United States Army
and a general in the Union Army
in the American Civil War
. He was wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg
and died the next day.
on December 18, 1835 to Samuel John Bayard and Jane Ann Dashiell.
His family moved as homesteaders to the Iowa Territory
. He attended the United States Military Academy
at West Point
, graduating in 1856 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. cavalry
. Bayard fought in the Indian Wars
in Kansas
and Colorado
from 1856 to 1861.
in the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry, based in Tenallytown (now Tenleytown, Washington, D.C.). Late in November 1961, he was involved in a confrontation with rebel soldiers near Falmouth, Virginia
, in which his horse and two of his fellow soldiers were killed. He escaped with only minor wounds and was subsequently commissioned Chief of Cavalry of the III Corps and brigadier general
of volunteers on April 28, 1862.
He fought under John C. Frémont
at the Battle of Port Republic
. In August 1862, at the Battle of Cedar Mountain
, he led a Union Army
advance. He was promoted to cavalry commander in the Army of the Potomac
.
He was hit with shrapnel from a Confederate artillery round on December 13, 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg
. He died on the following day, December 14, 1862. He was buried in Princeton Cemetery
in Princeton, New Jersey
.
in Washington, D.C., was named in his honor. Bayard Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego, California, was named after him. Fort Bayard Park, which replaced the fort, is also named in his memory, as well as Bayard, New Mexico
, Fort Bayard, New Mexico, and Fort Bayard National Cemetery
. The latter is now part of the Fort Bayard Historic District
, a commemoration of the Buffalo Soldiers.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and a general in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
and died the next day.
Early life
He was born in Seneca Falls, New YorkSeneca Falls (village), New York
Seneca Falls is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 6,861 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Seneca Falls, east of Geneva, New York. On March 16, 2010, village residents voted to dissolve the village, a move that would take effect at the end of 2011...
on December 18, 1835 to Samuel John Bayard and Jane Ann Dashiell.
His family moved as homesteaders to the Iowa Territory
Iowa Territory
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa.-History:...
. He attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, graduating in 1856 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. Bayard fought in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
from 1856 to 1861.
Civil War
At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Bayard was promoted to colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry, based in Tenallytown (now Tenleytown, Washington, D.C.). Late in November 1961, he was involved in a confrontation with rebel soldiers near Falmouth, Virginia
Falmouth, Virginia
Falmouth is an unincorporated community in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S...
, in which his horse and two of his fellow soldiers were killed. He escaped with only minor wounds and was subsequently commissioned Chief of Cavalry of the III Corps and brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of volunteers on April 28, 1862.
He fought under John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
at the Battle of Port Republic
Battle of Port Republic
-References:* Cozzens, Peter. Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8078-3200-4....
. In August 1862, at the Battle of Cedar Mountain
Battle of Cedar Mountain
The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
, he led a Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
advance. He was promoted to cavalry commander in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
.
He was hit with shrapnel from a Confederate artillery round on December 13, 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. He died on the following day, December 14, 1862. He was buried in Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery is located in Borough of Princeton, New Jersey. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as: "The Westminster Abbey of the United States."...
in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
.
Legacy
Fort BayardFort Bayard (Washington, D.C.)
Fort Bayard was an earthwork fort constructed in 1861 northwest of Tenleytown in the District of Columbia as part of the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War. It never faced major opposition during the conflict and was decommissioned following the surrender of Robert E. Lee's...
in Washington, D.C., was named in his honor. Bayard Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego, California, was named after him. Fort Bayard Park, which replaced the fort, is also named in his memory, as well as Bayard, New Mexico
Bayard, New Mexico
Bayard is a city in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,534 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bayard is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Fort Bayard, New Mexico, and Fort Bayard National Cemetery
Fort Bayard National Cemetery
Fort Bayard National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Fort Bayard Historic District, near Silver City, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 3,732 interments...
. The latter is now part of the Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District, also known as Fort Bayard Site, near Santa Clara , New Mexico, was the site of an 1866 post of the US Army "Buffalo Soldiers".-History:...
, a commemoration of the Buffalo Soldiers.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals