List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 66


This is a list of cases reported in volume 66 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1861 and 1862.

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.

Jeremiah Sullivan Black

Starting with the 66th volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was Jeremiah S. Black. Black was Reporter of Decisions from 1861 to 1862, covering volumes 66 and 67 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 and 2 of his Black's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, The Steamer New Philadelphia is 66 U.S. 62.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 66 U.S. (1 Black)

The Supreme Court is established by Article Three of [the United States Constitution|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.
Due to two unfilled vacancies, when the cases in 66 U.S. were decided the Court comprised only these seven members:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Roger B. TaneyChief [Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Chief Justice]MarylandJohn Marshall


October 12, 1864
James Moore WayneAssociate JusticeGeorgiaWilliam Johnson


July 5, 1867
John CatronAssociate JusticeTennesseenewly created seat


May 30, 1865
Samuel NelsonAssociate JusticeNew YorkSmith Thompson


November 28, 1872
Robert Cooper GrierAssociate JusticePennsylvaniaHenry Baldwin


January 31, 1870
Nathan CliffordAssociate JusticeMaineBenjamin Robbins Curtis


July 25, 1881
Noah Haynes SwayneAssociate JusticeOhioJohn McLean


January 24, 1881

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 and yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower CourtDisposition
Dutton v. StrongCliffordnonenoneD. Wis.reversed
United States v. HensleyGriernonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Bacon v. HartTaneynonenonenot indicateddismissed
Weightman v. City of WashingtonCliffordnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Wabash and Erie Canal v. BeersTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
United States v. BabbitSwaynenonenoneD. Iowareversed
The Steamer New PhiladelphiaWaynenonenoneS.D.N.Y.affirmed
Clark v. HackettNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.N.H.affirmed
Hager v. ThomsonCliffordnonenoneC.C.D.N.J.affirmed
Hecker v. FowlerTaneynonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.dismissal denied
Dermott v. WallachNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
O'Brien v. SmithTaneynonenonenot indicatedaffirmed
Stiles v. DavisNelsonnonenoneN.D. Ill.reversed
4,885 Bags of LinseedTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Hogg v. RuffnerGriernonenoneD. Ind.reversed
The Barque Island CityGriernonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
O'Brien v. PerryNelsonnonenoneMo.affirmed
Bryan v. United StatesNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Gregg v. TessonNelsonnonenoneN.D. Ill.reversed
Nelson v. WoodruffWaynenonenoneS.D.N.Y.affirmed
The Brig CollenbergCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Carondelet v. City of St. LouisCatronnonenoneMo.affirmed
Hodge v. CombsGriernonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Magwire v. TylerCatronnoneTaneyMo.affirmed
Bates v. Illinois Central Railroad CompanyCatronnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Johnston v. JonesSwaynenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
United States v. Knight's Administrator ICliffordnoneWayneN.D. Cal.reversed
Rogers v. LawNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Massachusetts v. Federal Street Meeting HouseGriernonenoneMass.dismissed
United States v. WilsonNelsonnonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
Pratt v. FitzhughNelsonnonenoneC.C.N.D.N.Y.dismissed
Moffitt v. GarrNelsonnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
United States v. VallejoWaynenonenoneD. Cal.affirmed
Ohio and Mississippi Railway Company v. WheelerTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Ind.certification
United States v. NeleighGriernonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Farni v. TessonGriernonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Harkness v. UnderhillCatronnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Laflin v. HerringtonWaynenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
United States v. CovillandCatronnonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Singleton v. TouchardGriernonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.affirmed
Clagett v. KilbourneNelsonnonenoneD. Iowaaffirmed
Farney v. TowleTaneynonenoneN.Y. Super. Ct.dismissed
Crews v. BurchamNelsonnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Rice v. Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad CompanyCliffordnoneNelson; WayneD. Minn.reversed
Woods v. Lawrence CountyWaynenonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.certification
The Ship MarcellusGriernonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Cleveland v. ChamberlainGriernonenoneD. Wis.dismissed
Vance v. CampbellNelsonnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioreversed
Haussknecht v. ClaypoolNelsonnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioreversed
Jefferson Branch Bank v. SkellyWaynenonenoneOhioreversed
Washington v. OgdenGriernonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
McCool v. SmithSwaynenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Verden v. ColemanGriernonenoneInd.dismissed
Franklin Branch Bank v. OhioWaynenonenoneOhioreversed
Leonard v. DavisCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mich.reversed
United States v. JackalowNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.N.J.certification
United States v. Knight's Administrator IITaneynonenoneN.D. Cal.rehearing denied
Flanigan v. TurnerNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
The Water WitchGriernonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
White's Administrator v. United StatesGriernonenoneN.D. Cal.mandamus denied
Ex parte GordonTaneynonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.prohibition denied
Foster v. GoddardSwaynenonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Hoyt v. SheldenTaneynonenoneN.Y. Super. Ct.dismissed
The Steamer St. LawrenceTaneynonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Law v. CrossGriernonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
United States v. VallejoNelsonnoneGrier; WayneN.D. Cal.reversed
Inbusch v. FarwellCliffordnonenoneD. Wis.affirmed
The Propeller CommerceCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Silliman v. Hudson River Bridge CompanyNelsonnonenoneC.C.N.D.N.Y.certification
Pindell v. MullikinCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Sherman v. SmithNelsonnonenoneN.Y. Sup. Ct.affirmed
Glasgow v. HortizGriernonenoneMo.affirmed
Conway v. Taylor's ExecutorSwaynenonenoneKy.affirmed