An early thaw after a period of extremely cold weather caused the breaking of ice dams and flooding in many parts of New England.  Albany, New York was cut off for a time as the moving icepack on the Hudson and its tributaries caused damage and severe flooding and the city itself was partially under water with destruction reported nearing the $200,000 mark.  No deaths or serious injuries were reported, however.  (By John Osborne)  

General Winfield Scott assured a visiting Vermont peace delegate that nothing would be allowed to obstruct the official counting of the Electoral College votes at the U.S. Capital on the coming Wednesday.  He told Lucius Chittenden that "any man who attempted by force or unparliamentary disorder to obstruct or interfere with the lawful count of the electoral vote ... should be lashed to the muzzle of a twelve-pounder and fired out of a window of the Capitol. I would manure the hills of Arlington with fragments of his body ...."  (By John Osborne)

Seven people were drowned or died of exposure in an accident that saw a sleigh carrying ten people overturn while crossing a frozen stream in Mercer County, Illinois.  Three young mothers and four of their children died in the mishap.  (By John Osborne) 

The Governor of Georgia ordered the seizure of five New York-owned trading vessels in the port of Savannah and threatened to hold them until the shipment of arms that the New York Department seized on February 22, 1861 on the New York docks.  Mayor Wood of New York refused to support his police two days later and called the matter an "illegal unjustifiable seizure of private property."  The Police Chief, under threat of a writ, returned the arms the next day and the New York vessels were released the day after that.  (By John Osborne)   

New York City firemen fought a massive early morning blaze at a spice and coffee mill on Fulton Street in the most trying of circumstances.  The temperature was well below zero and an icy wind was blowing causing the water pumped to turn to ice almost immediately.  Two firemen of Truck Company Number 15 were caught in the collapse of one the structures on fire; one was killed instantly and the other seriously hurt.  (By John Osborne)