Mr. Presbury of Sykes, Presbury, and Company, the proprietors of the new Girard House Hotel, had a public argument at the corner of Third and Walnut in Philadelphia, with James Edwards, an owner who was in litigation over the hotel with his brother George.  Words boiled over into action, Edwards struck Presbury with his cane, Presbury fired two shots from a pistol.  Neither was injured but Presbury was arrested.  (By John Osborne) 

Leading "fire eater" William Lowndes Yancey of Alabama addressed a crowd of Democrats at the Cooper Union Institute in an evening speech.  Yancey, in what observers described as a mild mannered presentation that belied his reputation, defended the South and slavery and called for the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law.  He concluded by saying that the preservation of the Union needed a Democratic success in New York in the general election and called for "fusion."  (By John Osborne) 

In the early hours of the morning the steamboat Bayou City, bound from Galveston to Houston, along the Texas coast, suffered a massive explosion of its boilers.  Early reports indicated that at least eight people were killed, including the steward, a clerk, and five slaves who were working as crewmen or sleeping on the deck.  Another dozen people were injured.  (By John Osborne) 

The 557-ton steamship Mount Vernon left Detroit, Michigan for Buffalo, New York on the previous Sunday afternoon, fully loaded with corn, flour, and wheat.  She encountered bad weather and was struggling to deal with the conditions off Point Pelee when her boiler exploded, killing two crewmen instantly.  The vessel soon sank but the twenty survivors clung to wreckage long enough for all to be rescued by a passing schooner.  (By John Osborne)

Democrats dedicated to defeating Abraham Lincoln in November met at the Cooper Institute in New York City to put together a "fusion" movement to heal the split between supporters of Breckinridge and those of Stephen Douglas.  Politicians such as John A. Dix, Samuel Tilden, and John Cochrane gave fiery anti-Lincoln speeches and an agreement was ratified to unite Democrats in New York to defeat the Republicans the following month.  (By John Osborne)  

William H. Seward had spent several weeks touring the Midwest speaking for the Republican presidential ticket and other Republican candidates.  He arrived at his home in Auburn, New York late in the evening to rest and await the results of state wide elections taking place that day in many of the places he had visited.  The sweeping Republican victories in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania suggested both the usefulness of Seward's tour and the prospects for a Republican presidential victory in November.  (By John Osborne)

Mathew Brady's new New York gallery opened to the public at Broadway and Tenth Street in the city. Brady's new studios were quickly dubbed the "National Portrait Gallery" for its display, remarkable at the time, of its daguerreotypes and other images of famous Americans.  (By John Osborne)  

Mathew Brady's new New York gallery was opened to the press in an evening event as a preview to its opening to the public the following Monday.  At Broadway and Tenth Street, Brady's new studios were quickly dubbed the "National Portrait Gallery" for its display, remarkable at the time, of its daguerreotypes and other images of famous Americans.  (By John Osborne)  

Senator William H. Seward continued his speaking tour on behalf of Republican candidates in Cleveland, Ohio.  Arriving on a dull and rain-filled fall day, he nevertheless addressed a large crowd in the afternoon, along with Benjamin Wade.  An enthusiastic evening march from the local "Wide-Awake" clubs rounded off the day.  (By John Osborne) 

Rembrandt Peale was the most famous American painter when he died at his home in Philadelphia, aged eighty-two.  Born in 1778 - he shared a birthday with George Washington - he was the son of well-known artist Charles Wilson Peale in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and trained in Paris and London.  He is best known today for his prolific output of portrait paintings, notably of George Washington,Thomas Jefferson, and John Marshall.  (By John Osborne)