general United States army, 1866-1902. In 1895 he was transferred to the quartermaster-general's office, Washington, District of Columbia, in charge of regular suppHes and transportation.
On the breaking out of the Spanish war, he was put in charge of the division of rail and water transportation, which included the movement of all troops, animals, supplies, and munitions of war, both by rail and by water. This necessitated the purchase and fitting up of seagoing transports. Both for equipment and comfort of the troops these transports were the admiration of the best armies of the world. The marked success attending this, the greatest feat of military transportation with which the quartermaster's department has ever had to deal, was largely due to the executive ability of General Bird.
He was retired by operation of the law, as brigadier-general United States army, June 17, 1902. He is a companion of the Military Order of the Legion of the United States and a member of the Society of the Second Army Corps. General Bird was married October 15, 1866, to Mary Clark, daughter of Peter and Mary Adams Bowman, of Wilmington, Delaware, and they had two children. He has always been a Republican in politics; has served as an elder in the Presbyterian church for eighteen years; as president and a director in the Young Men's Christian Association, and as trustee of Howard university, and since he retired from active service he has devoted his time to religious, philanthropic and charitable work. He presents in his life an example of absolute faithfulness and high executive ability in the performance of his duty to his country, of Christian character and effort in his care of the moral and spiritual life of his fellow soldiers in the army, and of universal brotherhood in his devotion to the betterment of mankind since his relief from official duty and responsibility.
His message to young men is that "there can be no true success in life independent of that which is obtained by developing noble Christian character."
