- Mar 2 Henry Billings Brown, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1913)
- Mar 5 Charles Goodnight, American cattle rancher (d. 1929)
- Mar 8 Matthew Calbraith Butler, American Major General (Confederate Army) and politician, born in Greenville, South Carolina (d. 1909)
- Mar 15 Henrique Alves de Mesquita, Brazilian composer, conductor and educator, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 1906)
- Mar 16 Andrew Smith Hallidie, American inventor of the cable car, born in London (d. 1900)
- Mar 20 Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American military officer and politician (US Representative from New York 1881-83), born in Delhi, New York (d. 1886)
- Mar 20 Edward Poynter, British painter, President of the Royal Academy, born in Paris, France (d. 1919)
- Mar 21 Jesus Monasterio, composer
- Mar 28 Frederick Pabst, German-American brewer (Pabst Brewing Company), born in Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, Germany (d. 1904)
- Mar 30 Karl Freiherr von Stumm-Halberg, German industrialist/politician