Gandalf sends men out to search for Bilbo. He sends them to the area he had last seen The Hobbit. They hope to find him before Thorin passes on.
He was not identified by name. He was sent to look in the area that Bilbo had last been seen in by Gandalf. He was strong and surefooted and carried Bilbo down to the camp.
Gandalf is the one who sends a man, specifically Thorin Oakenshield, in search of Bilbo Baggins. He believes that Bilbo, being a hobbit, could be a valuable asset in their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from the dragon Smaug. Gandalf's intuition about Bilbo's potential as a burglar leads to the unexpected adventure that unfolds in "The Hobbit."
The dwarves sent their burglar to check things out. Bilbo managed to get himself caught when he tried to pick the pocket of one of the trolls.
Bilbo is hired by 13 dwarves as a thief or burglar, as well as to make the party 14 rather than 13.
I believe that Bilbo was first referred to as a burglar in chapter one of The Hobbit, when Bilbo has just shrieked in fright at the things that the dwarves were saying. While Bilbo was recovering from shock in the drawing room, Gloin states, "As soon as I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the mat, I had my doubts. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar!"
{| |- | He listened to the guards talking. He had already found the cells of the 12 other dwarves. When they talked of another dwarf being held in the dungeons, he guessed that it had to be Thorin. |}
They escape in barrels sent downriver to be filled.
Gandalf is a Maia, kind of an angelic spirit. He, naturally incorporeal, has been clothed in the shape of an old man for his mission to Middle-earth. Four other Maia in the shape of old men were sent to Middle Earth as well to help the Free Peoples resist Sauron. They were known as Istari or Wizards. Of the five only Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast are named. Only the fate of Gandalf and Saruman is told.
Bilbo is in the Mirkwood with no food or water. The dwarves have been captured by the elves. He realizes there is only one exit from the palace where the dwarves are being held. He manages to get the dwarves out, but is unable to escape right away himself. When he does get away, he is chased.
According to The Letters of JRR Tolkien, he wrote the greater part of The Hobbit during his first seven years as Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. A version was in existence by the winter of 1932, when it was read by C. S. Lewis. The final version was sent to the publishers Allen & Unwin on 3 October 1936 for their consideration.
Thorin was his uncle, so he and his brother Fili were sent by their mother to accompany him.
On the first night of their adventure, Bilbo is sent to investigate the shining red light because it is a mysterious and potentially dangerous occurrence that piques the group's curiosity. Gandalf and the dwarves feel that Bilbo, as the designated burglar, should take the lead in determining the source of the light, which they suspect could be a threat or an opportunity. This moment highlights Bilbo's role in the group and foreshadows his growth throughout the journey. Ultimately, it sets the stage for the challenges and discoveries that lie ahead.