The cornerstone of an eventual seventy foot granite central monument at the Hampton National Soldiers' Cemetery in Virginia was laid with ceremony on this date.  The cemetery already held around six thousand Union remains from the Peninsula Campaign and operations to close smaller resting places at Yorktown, Norfolk, and Portsmouth, Virginia and consolidate bodies at Hampton were underway.  A small number of Confederate dead were also buried at Hampton, in their own section.  (By John Osborne)

In fine central Canada weather, the recently founded Ottawa Rowing Club staged its inaugural regatta with a large and successful event on the Ottawa River between the canal locks near the city and the mouth of the Gatineau River. The rowing events featured competitors from Toronto, Hamilton, and Quebec and included a single sculls two mile race billed as for the Canadian championship.  (By John Osborne)

General Philip Sheridan had just been appointed to command the U.S. Army's District of the Missouri, with the mandate to subdue the Plains Indians obstructing the construction of the transcontinental railway and emigration west.  More importantly from many Republicans, President Johnson recently had removed Sheridan from command of the Fifth Military District of Texas and Louisiana where he had been vigorously pursuing reconstruction. When the Albany, New York born Civil War hero made an autumn visit to New York City, lavish welcoming ceremonies had been laid on.  These included a remarkable evening gathering at the the Union League Club where Union Square was crowded with people and parading militia all illuminated with decorations and arc lights.  (By John Osborne) 

The large explosion of a boiler caused very heavy damage to a Newark, New Jersey brewery and killed two employees instantly.  Debris from the incident was thrown some distance into the surrounding neighborhood but no other injuries were reported.  (By John Osborne)