List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 62


This is a list of cases reported in volume 62 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1858 and 1859.

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, New York v. Dibble is 62 U.S. 366.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 62 U.S. (21 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 62 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
John Archibald CampbellAssociate JusticeAlabamaJohn McKinley


April 30, 1861
Nathan CliffordAssociate JusticeMaineBenjamin Robbins Curtis


July 25, 1881

Notable Case in 62 U.S. (21 How.)

''Ableman v. Booth''

In Ableman v. Booth, , the Supreme Court determined that state courts cannot issue rulings that contradict the decisions of federal courts, overturning a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court held that under the federal Constitution, federal courts hold final power to decide cases arising under the Constitution and federal statutes, and that the states do not have the power to overturn those decisions. Ableman emphasized the dual form of American government and the independence of state and federal courts from each other.

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
The Steamer LouisianaCampbellnoneDanielC.C.D. Md.affirmed
The Propeller NiagaraCliffordnonenoneD. Wis.affirmed
Union Insurance Company v. HogeNelsonnoneDanielC.C.N.D.N.Y.affirmed
Leggett v. HumphreysDanielnonenoneC.C.S.D. Miss.affirmed
Richmond v. City of Milwaukee ITaneynonenoneD. Wis.dismissed
Rice v. Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad CompanyTaneynonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Minn.annulment denied
Kelsey v. ForsythTaneynonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Winans v. New York and Erie Railroad CompanyGriernoneDanielC.C.N.D.N.Y.affirmed
Pennsylvania v. RavenelNelsonnoneDanielC.C.E.D. Pa.affirmed
Covington Drawbridge Company v. ShepherdCatronnoneDanielC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Livermore v. JenckesWaynenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Barreda v. SilsbeeCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
United States v. SutterCampbellnoneCliffordN.D. Cal.multiple
Cushing v. Owners of Ship John FraserTaneynoneNelson; Grier; CliffordC.C.D.S.C.reversed
Insurance Company of the Valley of Virginia v. MordecaiTaneynonenoneC.C.W.D. Va.dismissed
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company v. QuigleyCampbellDanielnoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Campbell v. BoyreauTaneynonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.affirmed
French's Lessee v. SpencerCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Smith v. OrtonCatronnonenoneD. Wis.reversed
Allen v. NewberryNelsonDanielnoneD. Wis.affirmed
Maguire v. CardNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Cal.reversed
C. Belcher and Company v. LawrasonNelsonnonenoneC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
Pemberton v. LockettNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Poorman v. WoodwardCatronnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
Doe ex rel. Dickins v. MahanaCatronnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioreversed
Hill v. SmithGriernonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Ford v. WilliamsGriernonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Lownsdale v. ParrishCatronnonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Or.dismissed
Morehouse v. PhelpsCatronnonenoneIll.reversed
Brown v. HugerDanielnonenoneC.C.W.D. Va.affirmed
Kendall v. WinsorDanielnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
Thomas v. LawsonDanielnonenoneC.C.E.D. Ark.affirmed
McKinlay v. MorrishWaynenonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
United States v. City Bank of ColumbusWaynenonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
New York ex rel. Cutler v. DibbleGriernonenoneN.Y. Sup. Ct.affirmed
New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company v. RumballCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Montgomery v. AndersonTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Mo.reversed
Ballance v. ForsythTaneynonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reinstatement denied
Mason v. GambleTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Md.dismissed
Richmond v. City of Milwaukee IITaneynonenoneD. Wis.reinstatement denied
Porter v. FoleyTaneynonenoneKy.dismissed
Martin v. ImhsenGriernonenoneC.C.E.D. La.affirmed
Combs v. HodgeCampbellnonenoneC.C.D.C.remanded
United States v. NyeCampbellnonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
United States v. BassettCampbellnonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
White Water Valley Canal Company v. ValletteCampbellnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Easton v. SalisburyMcLeannonenoneMo.affirmed
McCarty v. RootsMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Pearce v. Madison and Indianapolis Railroad CompanyCampbellnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
United States v. FossattCampbellnonenoneN.D. Cal.dismissed
Sturgis v. CloughGriernonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Western Telegraph Company v. Magnetic Telegraph CompanyMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Western Telegraph Company v. PennimanMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Converse v. United StatesTaneynoneCampbellC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Fenn v. HolmeDanielnonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Clearwater v. MeredithMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Lea v. Polk County Copper CompanyCatronnoneDanielC.C.E.D. Tenn.affirmed
Ableman v. BoothTaneynonenoneWis.reversed
Rogers v. LawMcLeannonenoneC.C.D.C.dismissed
Brittan v. BarnabyWaynenoneDanielC.C.D. Cal.reversed
Knox County v. AspinwallNelsonnoneDanielC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Knox County v. WallaceNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Chamberlain v. WardCliffordnoneDanielC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
Ward v. ChamberlainCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
White v. Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad CompanyNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Walker v. SmithGriernonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Barber v. BarberWaynenoneDanielD. Wis.affirmed