Birthdays
Warren Akin
Turns 48 on this date
Lewis Cass
Turns 77 on this date
William McKendree Gwin
Turns 54 on this date
John Jones Pettus
Turns 46 on this date
Mary Ann Shadd
Turns 36 on this date
George Sykes
Turns 37 on this date
Events
| Foreign | Alfred Dreyfus, future French artillery officer and Devil's Island prisoner, is born in Alsace | 10/09/1859 |
| Crime/Disasters | Passengers from the stricken steamer Quaker City landed safely in Norfolk, Virginia | 10/09/1859 |
Documents
| Letter | Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Corwin, October 9, 1859 | 10/09/1859 |
| Newspaper | Memphis (TN) Appeal, “Fremont’s Position,” October 9, 1859 | 10/09/1859 |