Birthdays
Judah Philip Benjamin
Turns 50 on this date
Francis Bicknell Carpenter
Turns 31 on this date
Samuel Powhatan Carter
Turns 42 on this date
Lewis William Foulke
Turns 52 on this date
John Perdue Gray
Turns 36 on this date
Thomas Charles Murphey
Turns 40 on this date
Susie King Taylor
Turns 13 on this date
Events
| US/the World | Great Britain declares Lagos (Nigeria) to be a Crown colony | 08/06/1861 |
| Lawmaking/Litigating | President Lincoln signs the First Confiscation Act authorizing the seizure of slaves aiding the Confederacy | 08/06/1861 |
| Lawmaking/Litigating | The early first session of the 37th Congress ends in Washington, DC | 08/06/1861 |
| Science/Technology | The Great Comet of 1861 visible to the naked eye over North America and Europe |
06/30/1861 to 08/15/1861 |
Documents
| Letter | Andrew Johnson and William B. Carter to Abraham Lincoln, August 6, 1861 | 08/06/1861 |