List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 13


This is a list of cases reported in volume 13 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1815.

Nominative reports

In 1874, the U.S. government created the United States Reports, and retroactively numbered older privately published case reports as part of the new series. As a result, cases appearing in volumes 1–90 of U.S. Reports have dual citation forms; one for the volume number of U.S. Reports, and one for the volume number of the reports named for the relevant reporter of decisions.

William Cranch

Starting with the 5th volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was William Cranch. Cranch was Reporter of Decisions from 1801 to 1815, covering volumes 5 through 13 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 9 of his Cranch's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Terrett v. Taylor is 13 U.S. 43.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 13 U.S. (9 Cranch)

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court...". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six. Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices.
When the cases in 13 U.S. were decided, the Court comprised these seven justices:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
John MarshallChief JusticeVirginiaOliver Ellsworth


July 6, 1835
Bushrod Washington
Associate JusticeVirginiaJames Wilson



November 26, 1829
William Johnson
Associate JusticeSouth CarolinaAlfred Moore


August 4, 1834
Henry Brockholst Livingston
Associate JusticeNew YorkWilliam Paterson


March 18, 1823
Thomas Todd
Associate JusticeKentuckynew seat


February 7, 1826
Gabriel Duvall
Associate JusticeMarylandSamuel Chase


January 12, 1835
Joseph Story
Associate JusticeMassachusettsWilliam Cushing


September 10, 1845

Citation style

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction. There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.
Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.
Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
Mandeville v. Union BankMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Meigs v. M'clung's LesseeMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.E. Tenn.affirmed
Simms v. GuthrieMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
Speake v. United StatesStorynoneLivingston, MarshallC.C.D.C.affirmed
Taber v. PerrottMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.reversed
Terrett v. TaylorStorynonenoneC.C.D.C.certification
The Brig Short StapleMarshallnoneStoryC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Parker v. Rule's LesseeMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.W. Tenn.affirmed
The Brig StruggleLivingstonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Randolph v. DonaldsonStorynonenoneC.C.D. Va.reversed
Polk's Lessee v. WendalMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.W. Tenn.reversed
The Ship RichmondMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ga.affirmed
Arnold v. United StatesStorynonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
The St. LawrenceStorynonenoneC.C.D.N.Haffirmed
Drummond's Administrators v. Magruder's TrusteesWashingtonnonenoneC.C.D. Va.reversed
The MaryMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.reversed
Doe v. McFarlandMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
Clark's Executors v. Van RiemsdykMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.reversed
Finley v. WilliamsMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
McIver's Lessee v. WalkerMarshallDuvallnoneC.C.D.E. Tenn.reversed
Owens v. HanneyMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ga.affirmed
The Ship FannyJohnsonnonenoneC.C.D. Conn.affirmed
The FrancesJohnsonnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.certification
30 Hogsheads of Sugar v. BoyleMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Evans v. JordanWashingtonnonenoneC.C.D. Va.certification
The Ship HazardLivingstonnonenoneC.C.D. Ga.affirmed
The Ship SocieteMarshallnonenoneC.C.D. Ga.affirmed
United States v. GilesLivingstonnonenoneC.C.D.N.Y.certification
United States v. Barberper curiam nonenoneC.C.D. Vt.certification
The Schooner AndelineStorynonenoneC.C.D.N.Y.certification
The Brig AnnStorynonenoneC.C.D. Conn.affirmed
Town of Pawlet v. ClarkStoryJohnsonnoneC.C.D. Vt.certification
Otis v. WatkinsLivingstonnoneMarshallMass.reversed
The Brig AlertaWashingtonnonenoneD.N. Orleansaffirmed
The GrotiusWashingtonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Gettings v. Burch's AdministratrixMarshallnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
United States v. BryanLivingstonnonenoneC.C.D. Del.affirmed
The Brig ConcordStorynonenoneC.C.D.N.Y.reversed
The NereideMarshallJohnsonStoryC.C.D.N.Y.reversed
Pratt v. LawJohnsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.certification