Baird, David (1757–1829)

British general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. In 1801 he commanded an expedition to Egypt for the expulsion of the French. He led an army to recapture the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, from the Dutch settlers 1806, and served at the siege of Copenhagen, Denmark, 1807. In 1808 he was sent to Corunna, Spain, to help John Moore with a reinforcement of 10,000 troops.

In 1820 he was appointed commander-in-chief in Ireland, but was not successful as an administrator, and was removed from office 1821.

Baird was born in East Lothian, Scotland. He entered the army 1772, and served in India 1780–89. He was wounded while fighting against Hyder Ali, Sultan of Mysore, at Pernambucum in 1780, taken prisoner, and kept in a dungeon at Seringapatam for nearly four years. He took Pondicherry in 1793.