Baldey, George

Submitted by Mike Miller November 1997

George Baldey, attorney, New Orleans, La. This popular and successful attorney was born in Northumberland county, Penn., August 26,1830, and acquired in Michigan the principal part of his education, graduating from a branch of the University of Michigan. His father, Christian Baldey, was a native of Pennsylvania also, of French descent, and a merchant by occupation who died in 1870. The latter was the son of Paul Baldey, a native of Louisiana, whose father came to Louisiana from southern France in 1769. The grandfather, Paul Baldey, was an Indian trader and finally took up a residence in Pennsylvania where he raised a large family and where he died. The mother of our subject was Mary Tommilson, a native of the Keystone state, who died in 1872. She was the daughter of John Tommilson. A brother of our subject's father, John Baldey, was a captain in the War of 1812. George Baldey removed with his parents to New York when an infant and from there to Michigan, where he attained his growth. In 1846 he entered the service of the United States army as a drummer boy in the war with Mexico and served until the close, latterly as a soldier. He then served an apprenticeship at the printer's trade and for several years following gave considerable attention to the pursuit of his trade, to merchandising, to prospecting and mining in Colorado.

He was in that territory when the Civil war broke out and was one of its pioneers. In the fall of 1861 he entered the volunteer service of the United States in the Colorado volunteers. In 1862 he helped to raise and organize the Second Colorado cavalry, and served as its adjutant on the plains and in southern Missouri until February, 1864. He was then commissioned as major of the Second Missouri volunteers and served as such about a year. Subsequently he acted as lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and brevet brigadier-general of the Sixty-fifth Missouri Volunteer infantry. In July, 1866, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Twenty-fifth United States infantry of the regular army. In 1868 he was promoted to captain of the same and served as such until December, 1870, when he retired from the service. During the time he held the rank of captain he was detailed on staff duty with the rank of adjutant-general at New Orleans and during that time he read law with the firm of Whittaker & Rice. He also attended the law department of the University of Louisiana one session and in 1884 was admitted to the bar. Since then he has practiced his profession in New Orleans. He is a liberal republican in politics. From 1878 until 1883 he was register of the United States land office at New Orleans. He is a general practitioner and a lawyer of thorough legal training. He is a member of the G. A. R. and holds membership in the Catholic church. In 1851 be married Miss Emma L. Hubbell, of Philadelphia, and he has three living children two of whom are sons.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 259.