In the evening, at New York City's Asylum for the Insane on Blackwell's Island in the East River, a dance was held in celebration of the completion of the first of four new buildings.  Many of the patients took part and newspaper artists were on hand to record the festivities.  The press reported that the significant extensions in facilities were needed to provide for the growing population of the city.  (By John Osborne) 

At around two in the afternoon, flames were seen high in the roofing of the impressive St. George's Episcopal Church on Sixteenth Street in New York City.  Soon the entire upper section was on fire and fire department efforts to save it were futile largely because of the height of the worst flames.  Three hours later the roof and interior were completely gutted.  The church was swiftly rebuilt and consecrated on December 19, 1867. (By John Osborne)

A young boy was killed and several other passengers seriously injured in a collision between a city train and a horse car omnibus on Third Avenue near the center of New York City. The Adams Express Company locomotive, on the Harlem & New Haven Railroad tracks, hit the street car at the junction of Third and Fourth Avenue near Fifth Street just before dark fell.  The driver of the locomotive was arrested.  (By John Osborne)

Towards the end of a highly successful and public visit to New York City, Lieutenant-General U.S. Grant, his family, and staff, were hosted at a grand reception at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the city. Around two thousand luminaries from the army, congress, and city government were invited and began to arrive around 7:30 p.m. in what the press reported as one of the most remarkable social events in the city's history. (By John Osborne)

During a highly public visit to New York City, General U.S. Grant and some of his party in the afternoon visited Dubois' Half-mile Horsetrack off upper Eighth Avenue in the city.  With numerous figures from the local prominent racing fraternity in attendance, Grant and his group saw several trotting races before returning to their hotel and an evening visit to the theater and a performance of "King Lear." (By John Osborne)

Henry John Temple, Third Viscount Palmerston and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1859 had died at his Hampshire country home the week before, two days before his eighty-first birthday.  He was buried in a state funeral, only the fourth person outside the royal family so honored, in Westminster Abbey. Earl Russell succeeded him as Prime Minister.  (By John Osborne)