- Feb 6 John Brown Gordon, Major General (Confederate Army), born in Upson County, Georgia (d. 1904)
- Feb 16 Camille Armand Jules Marie de Polignac, American Major General (Confederate Army)
- Feb 25 Theodorus J I Arnold, bibliographer (Bibliotheca Belgian)
- Feb 26 John George Nicolay, German-American author (Abe Lincoln's biographer), born in Essingen, Rhenish Bavaria (d. 1901)
- Feb 27 Alfred Pollard Edward, Civil War journalist, (d. 1872)