List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 58


This is a list of cases reported in volume 58 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1854 and 1855.

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, Iasigi v. Brown is 58 U.S. 183 .

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 58 U.S. (17 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 58 U.S. were decided the Court comprised these nine members:
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Roger B. TaneyChief JusticeMarylandJohn Marshall


October 12, 1864
John McLeanAssociate JusticeOhioRobert Trimble


April 4, 1861
James Moore WayneAssociate JusticeGeorgiaWilliam Johnson


July 5, 1867
John CatronAssociate JusticeTennesseenewly created seat


May 30, 1865
Peter Vivian DanielAssociate JusticeVirginiaPhilip P. Barbour


May 31, 1860
Samuel NelsonAssociate JusticeNew YorkSmith Thompson


November 28, 1872
Robert Cooper GrierAssociate JusticePennsylvaniaHenry Baldwin


January 31, 1870
Benjamin Robbins CurtisAssociate JusticeMassachusetts
Levi Woodbury



September 30, 1857
John Archibald CampbellAssociate JusticeAlabamaJohn McKinley


April 30, 1861

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
De la Lande's Heirs v. LouisianaTaneynonenoneLa.dismissal denied
Shields v. ThomasTaneynonenoneN.D. Iowadismissal denied
Arthurs v. HartNelsonnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
The Steamship OhioMcLeannonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.dismissed
The Steamship FalconMcLeannonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.dismissed
Haydel v. DufresneCatronnonenoneLa.reversed
Northern Central Railway v. WinansCampbellnonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
United States v. CoxeTaneynonenoneE.D. La.reversed
Barribeau v. BrantTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Mo.dismissed
Wickliffe v. OwingsCampbellnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
Raymond v. TysonWaynenoneCampbellN.D. Cal.reversed
Burden Iron Works v. OdiorneCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Battin v. TaggertMcLeannonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.reversed
United States v. 67 Packages of Dry GoodsNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. La.reversed
United States v. Nine Cases of Silk HatsNelsonnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
United States v. One Package of MerchandiseNelsonnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
United States v. One Case of ClocksNelsonnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
Lawrence v. MinturnCurtisnonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Stewart v. United StatesDanielnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Shields v. BarrowCurtisnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.reversed
Ring v. MaxwellCurtisnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.certification
The Propeller MonticelloGriernoneDanielC.C.N.D.N.Y.affirmed
Bank of Tennessee v. HornTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
City of Providence v. ClappNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
The Schooner CatharineNelsonnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Peck v. SandersonTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.reversed
Iasigi v. BrownMcLeannoneCurtis; CampbellC.C.D. Mass.reversed
United States v. NickersonCurtisnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.certification
Henshaw v. MillerDanielnonenoneC.C.E.D. Va.certification
United States ex rel. Tucker v. SeamanTaneynonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
McBlair v. GibbesNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Williams v. GibbesNelsonnoneTaney; DanielC.C.D. Md.reversed
Gooding v. OliverNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Stafford v. Union BankMcLeannonenoneD. Tex.dismissed
Stafford v. New Orleans Canal and Banking CompanyMcLeannonenoneD. Tex.dismissed
United States ex rel. Goodrich v. GuthrieDanielCurtisMcLeanC.C.D.C.affirmed
Clark v. ClarkCatronnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Booth v. ClarkWaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Boone v. Missouri Iron CompanyMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Burchell v. MarshGriernoneNelsonC.C.D. Ill.reversed
Hinkle v. WanzerDanielnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ala.affirmed
Fontain v. RavenelMcLeanTaney; DanielnoneC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
The Steamboat John JayWaynenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
West v. CochranCatronMcLeannoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Adams v. LawGriernonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Herndon v. RidgwayCampbellnonenoneN.D. Miss.affirmed
City of Boston v. LecrawGriernonenoneC.C.D.R.I.reversed
Bruce v. United StatesTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Hendrickson v. HinckleyCurtisnonenoneC.C.D. Ohioaffirmed
Stevens v. GladdingCurtisnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.reversed
Carpenter v. PennsylvaniaCampbellnonenonePa.affirmed
Rhodes v. FarmerMcLeannonenoneN.D. Miss.affirmed
Wickliffe v. EveCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.affirmed
Pulliam v. OsborneCampbellnonenoneM.D. Ala.reversed
Minturn v. MaynardGriernonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
Florida v. GeorgiaTaneynoneCurtis; Campbelloriginalcontinued
United States v. RitchieNelsonCampbellnoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
Fremont v. United StatesTaneynoneCatron; CampbellN.D. Cal.reversed
Webb v. DenGriernonenoneC.C.M.D. Tenn.affirmed
Coy v. MasonMcLeannonenoneD. Iowaaffirmed
Wanzer v. TrulyCampbellnoneDanielC.C.S.D. Miss.reversed
Ayres v. CarverNelsonCatronnoneN.D. Miss.dismissed
Hays v. Pacific Mail Steamship CompanyNelsonCampbellDanielN.D. Cal.affirmed
Christy v. AlfordCurtisnonenoneD. Tex.affirmed
Dennistoun v. StewartGriernonenoneC.C.S.D. Ala.reversed
Griffin v. ReynoldsCampbellnonenoneN.D. Miss.reversed
Judson v. CorcoranCatronnonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Lewis v. BellGriernonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed