Birthdays
George Armstrong Custer
Turns 21 on this date
James Guthrie
Turns 68 on this date
John Baldwin Raymond
Turns 16 on this date
Events
| Crime/Disasters | Clandestine prize-fight fought in New Jersey for a purse of $300 | 12/05/1860 |
| Crime/Disasters | In Albany, a fire in a library at the New York State Capitol causes moderate damage but no injuries | 12/05/1860 |
| Crime/Disasters | One man killed and others hurt in an explosion aboard a Spanish naval vessel in the Brooklyn Navy Yard | 12/05/1860 |
| Lawmaking/Litigating | The second session of the 36th Congress is sitting in Washington, DC |
12/04/1860 to 03/02/1861 |
Documents
| Newspaper | Charleston (SC) Mercury, "The John Brown Pike," December 5, 1860 | 12/05/1860 |
| Newspaper | New York Times, “Mr. Buchanan's Style of Conciliation,” December 5, 1860 | 12/05/1860 |