On this date 150 years ago, President Lincoln appointed General Benjamin Butler to the post of commander of the Department of New England; that branch of the army was used largely to recruit and train soldiers for the upcoming campaigns. The cabinet met with Generals Scott and McClellan. In addition, the chief executive directed his cabinet to make preparations for the implementation of an east coast expedition to commence in November. This eventually was known as the Port Royal, South Carolina, operation under the command of General Thomas S. Sherman.

Centerville, Virginia, was the site of a stategy planning session between Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Johnston, Beauregard, and Smith. They met to discuss a possible solution to problems posed by the Southern offensive in Virginia which was what the citizenry of the Confederacy were currently demanding. An assessment of the army's capabilities led to the conclusion that such a move, to attack the North at this time, would be foolhardy. Southern troops were neither sufficiently provisioned nor available in numbers necessary for an offensive; the consensus was to wait until spring and watch further developments on all fronts, not just in Virginia.

Confederates seize the Federal supply steamer "Fanny" at Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. In the capture, 31 Union soldiers were taken, along with a large amount of military supplies.