John Ross or Little White Bird, son of a Scottish immigrant and a Cherokee mother, was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 until his death on this day in Washington, D.C.  His leadership spanned a remarkable period for his tribe that included the forced emigration of the "Trial of Tears," the long quest for compensation, the recovery of the tribe to some prosperity, and finally, its ill-fated and divisive alliance with the Confederate States in 1861. It was while he was negotiating, with some difficulty and dissent from other Cherokee leaders, a permanent Reconstruction Treaty with President Johnson's administration that he died.  He was seventy-five years old.  (By John Osborne)

Former Civil War commander Major-General Ambrose Everett Burnside was inaugurated as Governor of Rhode Island in an impressive ceremony in Newport.  More than twelve hundred state militia escorted the newly elected executive and legislature before large crowds.  Burnside had been elected just over three weeks before with three-quarters of the ballots cast in the election. He would serve until May 1869. (By John Osborne)

Rhode Island state elections saw dominant victories for the Republicans over their Democratic opposition.  Former Union general Ambrose Everett Burnside was elected over Lyman Pierce with three quarters of the ballots cast and Republicans retained control of the state legislature with large majorities. They now held twenty-eight of the thirty-three seats in the Senate and dominated the lower House sixty-five seats to seven.  Burnside was inaugurated as governor with impressive ceremony just over three weeks later.  (By John Osborne)

Rhode Island Democrats met in their nominating convention the day after state Republicans had nominated General Ambrose E. Burnside for governor.  Some attending felt it futile to even nominate a ticket since the former Civil War hero was so popular but ultimately a slate headed by Lyman Pierce was chosen.  In the May election, as predicted, Pierce received 2,816 votes to Burnside's 8,197. (By John Osborne) 

Rhode Island Republicans met in Providence to nominate candidates for the upcoming elections.  Former Union General Ambrose Burnside was such a popular choice for governor that the one hundred and seven delegates fought for the honor to propose him formally and he was chosen by acclamation. William Green was nominated for lieutenant-governor.  The states elections took place on April 4, 1866 and Burnside was elected with a massive majority, 8,197 votes to 2,816. (By John Osborne)

The Reformed Dutch Church of the United States met in its annual General Synod in New York City, convening on this date.  The church recorded 431 churches, 407 ministers, and 55,917 communicants. Among the items resolved was the appointment of a committee to determine whether a name change for the denomination that omitted the word "Dutch" would be advantageous. The following year it became known as "The Reformed Church in America." (By John Osborne)

Republicans triumphed in the state and federal elections on this day.  Famous Union General John White Geary was elected as governor with a majority of just over seventeen thousand in a total vote of almost 600,000 ballots cast.  His party also retained control of the Legislature, with a majority of twenty-one to twelve in the upper house and of sixty-two to eight in the lower.  Seats for the Fortieth Congress were also decided, with Republicans taking eighteen of the twenty-four seats, an increase of three seats over the Democrats.  (By John Osborne)

Following a series of heavy defeats at the hands of the invading Brazilian, Argentine, and Uruguayan allied forces, Paraguay troops fortified a line of trenches before a fortress at Curupaity.  The Allies mounted a 20,000 man attack, supported with a preliminary bombardment from Brazilian ironclads on the nearby river.  This bombardment proved insufficient and the 5000 Paraguayan defenders inflicted extremely heavy casualties on the attacking infantry. The Brazilians and the Argentines suffered more than 4000 men killed or wounded, while the defenders lost only fifty-four men killied. (By John Osborne)