List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 44


This is a list of cases reported in volume 44 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1844 and 1845.

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.

Benjamin Chew Howard

Starting with the 42nd volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was Benjamin Chew Howard. Howard was Reporter of Decisions from 1843 to 1860, covering volumes 42 through 65 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 24 of his Howard's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Kendall v. Stokes is 44 U.S. 87.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 44 U.S. (3 How.)

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 44 U.S. were decided, however, due to an unfilled vacancy the Court comprised only these eight members:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Roger B. TaneyChief JusticeMarylandJohn Marshall


October 12, 1864
Joseph Story
Associate JusticeMassachusettsWilliam Cushing


September 10, 1845
John McLeanAssociate JusticeOhioRobert Trimble


April 4, 1861
James Moore WayneAssociate JusticeGeorgiaWilliam Johnson


July 5, 1867
John CatronAssociate JusticeTennesseenewly created seat


May 30, 1865
John McKinleyAssociate JusticeAlabamanewly created seat


July 19, 1852
Peter Vivian DanielAssociate JusticeVirginiaPhilip P. Barbour


May 31, 1860
Samuel NelsonAssociate JusticeNew YorkSmith Thompson


November 28, 1872

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
Aldridge v. WilliamsTaneynoneMcLeanC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Barry v. GambleCatronnoneMcKinleyMo.affirmed
Dickson v. WilkinsonMcKinleynonenoneC.C.M.D. Tenn.certification
Walker v. Bank of WashingtonWaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Henderson v. AndersonDanielnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
Poultney v. City of LafayetteMcLeannonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
Kendall v. StokesTaneynoneMcLeanC.C.D.C.reversed
Ex parte DorrMcLeannonenoneoriginalhabeas corpus denied
Curtis v. MartinTaneynonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Swartwout v. GihonTaneynonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Waller's Lessee v. BestTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Ky.certification
United States v. GearWaynenoneMcLeanC.C.D. Ill.certification
Gordon v. Appeal Tax CourtWaynenonenoneMd.reversed
Searight v. StokesTaneynoneMcLean, DanielC.C.W.D. Pa.affirmed
Croghan's Lessee v. NelsonMcKinleynoneMcLeanC.C.D. Ky.certification
Taylor v. United StatesStorynonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
Pollard's Lessee v. HaganMcKinleynoneCatronAla.affirmed
Cary v. CurtisDanielnoneStory, McLeanC.C.S.D.N.Y.certification
White v. NichollsDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Ex parte ChristyStorynoneCatron, BaldwinD. La.prohibition denied
Oliver v. PiattStorynonenoneC.C.D. Ohioaffirmed
Washington Bridge Company v. StewartWaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Nugent v. BoydTaneynoneCatronC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
Carroll v. SaffordMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Mich.certification
Lane v. VickMcLeannoneMcKinleyC.C.S.D. Miss.reversed
Black v. J.W. Zacharie CompanyStorynonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
Camden v. DoremusDanielnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
United States v. HodgeTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. La.dismissed
Maryland v. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad CompanyTaneynonenoneMd.affirmed
Stimpson v. West Chester Railroad CompanyTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.certiorari denied
United States v. FreemanWaynenonenoneC.C.D. Mass.certification
Andrews v. WallStorynonenoneCt. App. Terr. Fla.affirmed
Bonnafee v. WilliamsMcLeannonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.reversed
United States v. PrescottMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ill.certification
Permoli v. City of New OrleansCatronnonenoneNew Orleans City Ct.dismissed
Chaires v. United StatesCatronnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.dismissed
United States v. MarvinCatronnonenoneFla. Super. Ct.reversed
Price ex rel. Gaulley v. SessionsCatronnonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.affirmed
Daviess v. FairbairnMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
Brown's Lessee v. ClementsMcKinleynoneCatronAla.reversed
Clymer's Lessee v. DawkinsStorynonenoneC.C.D. Ky.affirmed
Brockett v. BrockettMcLeannonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
McDonogh v. MillaudonCatronnonenoneLa.dismissed
Gantly's Lessee v. EwingCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.certification
McFarland v. GwinMcKinleynonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.reversed
Neil Moore and Company v. OhioTaneynoneDanielOhioreversed
Hickey's Lessee v. StewartMcKinleynonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.reversed
Thomas Wilson and Company v. SmithTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Ill.certification
Ross v. PrentissTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Ga.dismissed
Winston v. United StatesTaneynonenoneC.C.N.D. Miss.dismissed
United States v. KingTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed