Stephen Collins Foster, perhaps America's most famous popular song writer at the time, had died the week before in New York City's Bellevue Hospital. His remains were transported by rail to Pennsylvania where his funeral service was held in the Trinity Episcopal Church, where he had been baptized, before his interment at the Allegheny Cemetery in the Pittsburgh suburb of Lawrenceville.  (By John Osborne)  

Stephen Collins Foster, perhaps America's most famous popular song writer at the time, died in Bellevue Hospital after being admitted for injuries in a fall at his New York boarding house three days before.  He was in very poor health in any case due largely to his rising alcohol intake and probably died of a heart attack or stroke.  His remains were transported by rail to Pennsylvania where he was buried in Lawrenceville.  He was 37 years old.  (By John Osborne)  

The early Pennsylvania Central morning express from Cleveland, Ohio was near Birmingham in central Pennsylvania when it left the tracks and two passenger cars were thrown forty feet down an embankment to the bed of the Little Juniata River.  The stoves in the carriages started a fire but despite the crash, the fire, and the some injuries, no fatalities were reported.  (By John Osborne)  

The Second New York Volunteer Infantry returned to New York City after its tour of duty at the front to a very enthusiastic welcome.  The Regiment, known popularly in the city as the "Fire Zouaves," had been recruited largely from the local fire companies and Engine Company stations were festooned in celebration as the unit arrived in mid-afternoon and marched through the city streets to City Hall Park. (By John Osborne)

At around 2:30 am, in a heavy rain, a large force of three hundred Confederate seamen and marines in fourteen boats attacked and seized the U.S.S. Underwriter, a 180 foot sidewheeler gunboat moored with its boilers banked in the Neuve River in North Carolina. Without steam up, the expedition's leader, Commander John Taylor Wood, determined that the prize could not be sailed away and ordered her burned. Confederate losses were five killed.  (By John Osborne)  

The New York press reported the close escape of the Inman Company immigrant steamship Etna, with hundreds of passengers aboard,from ship wreck during a recent powerful December storm.  The Etna left Queenstown in Ireland with a storm already raging and, reportedly, lost its mainmast swept away around four hundred miles from Cape Clear, but its commander, a Captain McGuigan, and crew were able to navigate its safe return to port without loss of life. (By John Osborne) 

At around four in the morning, a fire was discovered in a tailor's shop on Front Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Despite efforts to fight the fire's spread, in temperatures well below freezing, the blaze eventually destroyed around a hundred stores and homes, largely in an area from Front Street to the town's wharves, where two ships were also burned.  The spread was only halted by blowing up buildings and a shift in the wind. No serious injuries were reported.  (By John Osborne)   

Around 8 a.m., an hour after close to 1800 men had started work for the day, fire was discovered in the attic of the main building of Colt's Small Arms Factory in Hartford, Connecticut. Before long, the whole building, with its adjoining offices, was ablaze and eventually was completely destroyed.  An adjoining building dedicated to Army contracts, was also slightly damaged but quickly resumed production. One man was reported killed.  (By John Osborne)