List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 65


This is a list of cases reported in volume 65 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1860 and 1861.

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, Christ Church v. Philadelphia County is 65 U.S. 300.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 65 U.S. (24 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.
Due to an unfilled vacancy, when the cases in 65 U.S. were decided 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
John McLeanAssociate JusticeOhioRobert Trimble


April 4, 1861
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
John Archibald CampbellAssociate JusticeAlabamaJohn McKinley


April 30, 1861
Nathan CliffordAssociate JusticeMaineBenjamin Robbins Curtis


July 25, 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 & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinionDissenting opinionLower courtDisposition
Moore v. American T. Co.NelsonnoneCatronMich.affirmed
Jones v. SoulardCatronnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Ex parte KentuckyTaneynonenoneoriginalmandamus denied
Sturgis v. BoyerCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Palmer v. United StatesGriernonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
United States v. ChanaCampbellnonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Hall v. PapinWaynenonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Eberly v. MooreCampbellnonenoneW.D. Tex.affirmed
Fitch v. CreightonMcLeannonenoneC.C.N.D. Ohioaffirmed
Phillips v. PageNelsonnonenoneC.C.N.D.N.Y.reversed
Almy v. CaliforniaTaneynonenoneCal. Ct. Sessionsreversed
Meehan v. ForsythCampbellnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Gregg v. ForsythCampbellnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.reversed
Ballance v. ForsythCampbellnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Kellogg v. ForsythCampbellnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.dismissal denied
Richardson v. City of BostonGriernonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
Nations v. JohnsonCliffordnonenoneW.D. Tex.affirmed
Sampson v. WelshTaneynonenoneC.C.E.D. Pa.dismissed
Vigel v. NaylorCatronnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Davila v. MumfordNelsonnonenoneW.D. Tex.affirmed
Chandler v. Von RoederCampbellnonenoneW.D. Tex.reversed
Pearce v. PageMcLeannonenoneC.C.D. Ky.reversed
Thompson v. RobertsGriernonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
McEwen v. Den's LesseeCatronnonenoneC.C.E.D. Tenn.reversed
Powhatan S.B. Co. v. Appomattox R.R. Co.CliffordnonenoneC.C.E.D. Va.reversed
Gue v. Tide Water C. Co.TaneynonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
League v. EgeryCampbellnonenoneE.D. Tex.affirmed
Foote v. EgeryCampbellnonenoneE.D. Tex.affirmed
Greer v. MezesGriernonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.affirmed
Frost's Lessee v. Frostburg Coal Co.NelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Cleveland Ins. Co. v. ReedCatronnonenoneD. Wis.affirmed
Bissell v. City of JeffersonvilleCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Christ Church v. Philadelphia Cnty.CampbellnonenonePa.affirmed
Wiggins v. GrayTaneynonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.certification
Union S.S. Co. v. New York & V.S.S. Co.CliffordnonenoneC.C.E.D. Va.affirmed
Martin v. Thomas ex rel. RogersMcLeannonenoneD. Wis.reversed
Mayer v. WhiteNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Fackler v. FordGriernonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Kan.affirmed
Washington, et al. Packet Co. v. SicklesCampbellnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
United States v. CastroTaneynonenoneN.D. Cal.reversed
Day v. WashburnNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Tate v. CarneyCampbellnonenoneLa.affirmed
Massey v. PapinCatronnonenoneMo.affirmed
Amey v. City of AlleghenyWaynenonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.certification
Knox Cnty. v. AspinwallGriernonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Bulkley v. Naumkeag S.C. Co.NelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Clements v. WarnerCampbellnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ill.reversed
Smith's Lessee v. McCannTaneynonenoneC.C.D. Md.affirmed
Adler v. FentonCampbellnonenoneD. Wis.reversed
Medberry v. OhioGriernonenoneOhiodismissed
Porter v. FoleyGriernonenoneKy.dismissed
Reddall v. BryanTaneynonenoneMd.dismissed
Sheirburn v. De CordovaCampbellnonenoneW.D. Tex.affirmed
Tracy v. HolcombeTaneynonenoneMinn.dismissed
Suydam v. WilliamsonCampbellnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.reversed
Curtis v. Butler Cnty.WaynenonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.certification
Freeman v. HoweNelsonnonenoneMass.reversed
Howard v. BugbeeNelsonnonenoneAla.reversed
Perin v. CareyWaynenonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioaffirmed
Belcher v. LinnCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Knight v. SchellCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.certification
Belcher v. LinnCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Berthold v. GoldsmithCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Wheeler v. NesbittCliffordnonenoneC.C.M.D. Tenn.affirmed
Gaines v. HennenWaynenoneCatron, GrierC.C.E.D. La.reversed