A few hours before dawn, the New York Hotel in Franklin, Pennsylvania took fire. A stiff breeze spread the blaze quickly to most of the central area of the Venango County seat and before the fire was put out dozens of businesses, including the town's theater, newspaper offices, and post office, had suffered devastating losses. Losses of almost a quarter of a million dollars were reported but no serious injuries.  (By John Osborne) 

Frederick Douglass led a delegation of thirteen African-American leaders to the White House to discuss with President Andrew Johnson the course of the nation's reconstruction. While the group were received cordially and Douglass and the President engaged in some debate over the condition and prospects of the former slave population, Johnson refused to give way, especially on the enfranchisement of blacks, which he said would cause a war between the races. The delegation left disappointed and responded in the press.  (By John Osborne) 

On what would have been Abraham Lincoln's fifty-seventh birthday, the U.S. Congress requested famous historian George Bancroft to give a memorial oration before both Houses.  This he did in the most stirring, patriotic, and wide-ranging terms, comparing Lincoln with his contemporaries like Lord Palmerston, and engaging current affairs, like French involvement in Mexico, all to the benefit of republicanism as superior to the alternatives.  The oration was widely noted in the national newspapers.  (By John Osborne)