Baynes was the son of the diplomat Sir
Edward Stuart Baynes, KCMG. He entered the army as
ensign in 1843, was promoted to
lieutenant in 1846, and to
captain in 1853. He first saw active service in the
Crimea as a captain of the Mounted Staff Corps, took part in the siege of
Sevastopol, and later served as a military magistrate. For these services he was
mentioned in despatches, received the
Crimea Medal with clasp for Sevastopol, the fifth class of the
Order of Medjidie, and a
brevet promotion to
major. After promotion to the substantive rank of major in 1856, he went to
British India, where he took part in suppressing the
Indian Rebellion of 1857. With a force consisting of two horse artillery guns, 150 men of the
8th Regiment, and a detachment of Punjab cavalry, he surprised the garrison and took the fort of Phillur, on the Sutlej. With the 8th he also served at the
Siege of Delhi (June to September 1857), when during an assault he was dangerously wounded. As a result, he had to amputate his leg. For he service, he received the
Indian Mutiny Medal and the brevet rank of
lieutenant-colonel. He became
colonel in 1865,
major-general in 1870, and
lieutenant-general in 1881, when he retired from the army. In retirement, he was colonel of the
Royal Munster Fusiliers from 1895 to 1899, and of his old regiment the
King's Liverpool Regiment from 1899 until his death. He died at Norton Lees,
Haywards Heath on 7 October 1902. ==References==