With the single sentence of War Department General Order 194, "by direction of the President," Major General George Meade was appointed as commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Major General Joseph Hooker, whose precipitous offer to resign had been swiftly accepted.  Meade's first duty was the interception of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, then bearing down on Meade's home state of Pennsylvania.  (By John Osborne) 

With manpower becoming critical to Union operations, the War Department introduced the designation "Veteran Volunteers," that included a substantial cash bounty, to encourage men who had already served during the war as volunteers and had completed their enlistments.  Returning veterans were to receive a month's pay in advance and then $402 paid over three years or the end of the war, whichever came first.  Those who died during service could designate "legal heirs" to whom the full amount would be paid. (By John Osborne) 

After nine months of appeals, the War Department ruled that the trial of First Lieutenant Thomas C. Baldwin of the 7th Iowa Volunteers at Camp Montgomery, near Corinth, Mississippi, for "conduct unbecoming" had been "fatally defective" but since Baldwin had admitted his guilt, he was to be dismissed from the service, anyway, effective June 16, 1863. Baldwin had been convicted of being twice drunk in camp and drunkenly taking an African-American woman into his tent bed on the night of September 2, 1862, "with his tent doors open."  (By John Osborne)

John Rodgers Meigs was the son of General Montgomery Meigs and grandson of Commodore John Rodgers.  He had graduated from West Point the year before and assigned to the Engineers.  While surveying near Dayton, Virginia, he was killed by Confederate guerillas.  An angry General Philip Sheridan ordered the burning of Dayton and an area five miles around.  He later cancelled the order but not before significant destruction had taken place. Meigs was buried in Arlington with President Lincoln and other notables at his graveside. (By John Osborne)  

Twenty -six new 1863 graduates of the U.S. Military Academy received their commissions.  Eight went to the Corps of Engineers, seven to the Ordnance Department, six to the regular artillery, four to the regular cavalry, and two to the regular infantry.  All were ordered to report to Washington DC on July 15, 1863 for their orders.  The head of the class, John Rogers Meigs, son of General Montgomery Meigs was assigned to the Engineers.  He was killed by Confederate guerillas in Virginia while already a brevet major on October 3, 1864. (By John Osborne) 

At around 10 p.m. a fire broke out in a livery stables in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  The flames soon spread out of control towards the town square.  With many thinking it the work of the Confederates and hesitant to help, the students at nearby Mount St. Mary's College massed to fight the fire.  It was finally brought under control around 7 a.m. but not before a quarter of the town, around twenty buildings, had been severely damaged.  (By John Osborne)