To halt the Confederate harassment of its shipping by vessels from the Hatteras Inlet, the Union dispached a powerful combined force under Commodore Silas Stringham, USN, and Major-General Benjamin Butler.  They commenced bombardment of the Confederate forts Hatteras and Clark and then landed troops of largely New York infantry.  This forced the unconditional surrender of the two Confederate strongpoints and their seven hundred men garrison the following day, a small but welcome victory after the recent debacle at Bull Run. (By John Osborne)

The explosion at the Dupont Powder Mills was powerful enough to shake homes in the city of Wilmington, Delaware.  Four men were reported killed in the accident, which damaged nearby homes of mill workers and the Dupont family and displaced machinery and shattered all the windows in an unrelated factory on the other side of Brandywine Creek.  (By John Osborne)  

In Baltimore, Maryland, police carried out a morning raid against Miller's Hotel at German and Paca Streets, suspected as a mail center for Confederates communciating with the city.  All the premises were seized, including the stables and a large number of horses there.  A boarder named Webster, along with his wife, was arrested but the press reported that he escaped while being transported to Fort McHenry.  It turned out later, however, that "Webster" was Timothy Webster, a Union spy working for Allan Pinkerton (By John Osborne) 

Miss Ann Ingersoll christened and launched the new 224 foot, 730 ton, side wheel gunboat U.S.S. Miami in Philadelphia.  The wooden-hulled Miami had been built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and was later commissioned on January 29, 1862 with Lieutenant A. D. Harrell in command.  She saw action in the New Orleans and Vicksburg Campaigns, then off North Carolina.  She was decommissioned and sold into commercial service at the end of the war. (By John Osborne)