List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 68


This is a list of cases reported in volume 68 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1863 and 1864.

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.

John William Wallace

Starting with the 66th volume of U.S. Reports, the Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States was John William Wallace. Wallace was Reporter of Decisions from 1863 to 1874, covering volumes 68 through 90 of United States Reports which correspond to volumes 1 through 23 of his Wallace's Reports. As such, the dual form of citation to, for example, Gregg v. Von Phul is 68 U.S. 274.
Wallace's Reports were the final nominative reports for the US Supreme Court; starting with volume 91, cases were identified simply as " U.S. ".

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 68 U.S. (1 Wall.)

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 68 U.S. were decided the Court comprised these ten members :
PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
Tenure on Supreme Court
Roger B. TaneyChief JusticeMarylandJohn 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
Samuel Freeman MillerAssociate JusticeIowaPeter Vivian Daniel


October 13, 1890
David DavisAssociate JusticeIllinoisJohn Archibald Campbell


March 4, 1877
Stephen Johnson FieldAssociate JusticeCalifornianewly created seat


December 1, 1897

Notable Case in 68 U.S. (1 Wall.)

''Ex parte Vallandigham''

Ex parte Vallandigham, is a case involving a former congressman, Clement Vallandigham of Ohio, who had violated an Army order against the public expression of sympathy for the Confederate States and their cause. Vallandigham was tried before a military tribunal for treason after he delivered an incendiary speech at Mount Vernon; he appealed the military verdict to the Supreme Court, arguing that he as a civilian could not be tried before a military tribunal. On appeal, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling refusing to address Vallandigham's main argument that the military tribunal lacked jurisdiction to try him. Instead, they held that the Court was only authorized to take appeals as regulated by Congress – and Congress had never authorized them to take an appeal from a military tribunal, denying Vallandigham's appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Ex parte Vallandigham was cited by the Supreme Court in several important 20th Century cases, for example, Ex parte Quirin, and Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer.

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
Cross v. De ValleGriernonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
Wright v. EllisonSwaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Pomeroy's Lessee v. State Bank IWaynenonenoneC.C.D. Ind.dismissal denied
Clearwater v. MeredithDavisnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
The Commander-in-ChiefCliffordnonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Hutchins v. KingFieldnonenoneC.C.D.N.H.affirmed
Dermott v. WallachNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.C.reversed
Ryan v. BindleyDavisnonenoneC.C.S.D. Ohioreversed
Ex parte Dubuque & P.R.R.CatronnonenoneD. Iowamandamus granted
Orchard v. HughesNelsonnonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Neb.multiple
Eames v. GodfreyDavisnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.reversed
Gaylords v. KelshawMillernonenoneC.C.D. Ind.remanded
Mercer Cnty. v. HacketGriernonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.affirmed
Bayne v. MorrisDavisnonenoneC.C.D. Md.reversed
Burr v. Des Moines et al. Co.MillernonenoneC.C.D. Iowadismissed
United States v. SepulvedaFieldnonenoneD. Cal.reversed
Minnesota v. BachelderNelsonnonenoneMinn.reversed
Bridge P. v. Hoboken Co.MillernonenoneN.J.affirmed
Jones v. MoreheadMillernonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.reversed
Sweeny v. EasterMillernonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Gelpcke v. City of Dubuque ISwaynenoneMillerD. Iowareversed
Gelpcke v. City of Dubuque IISwaynenoneMillerD. Iowareversed
Gelpcke v. City of Dubuque IIISwaynenoneMillerD. Iowareversed
Baldwin v. HaleCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Baldwin v. Bank of NewburyCliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Ex parte VallandighamWaynenonenonemilitary commissioncertiorari denied
Dunham v. Cincinnati et al. Ry. Co.CliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Sturgis v. CloughGriernonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Seybert v. City of PittsburghGriernonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.reversed
Gregg v. Von PhulDavisnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
Malarin v. United StatesFieldnonenoneS.D. Cal.reversed
Van Hostrup v. City of MadisonNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.reversed
Miller v. TiffanySwaynenonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
United States v. d'AguirreFieldnonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
Godfrey v. EamesSwaynenonenoneC.C.D. Mass.reversed
United States v. JohnsonGriernonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
Jones v. GreenFieldnonenoneSup. Ct. Terr. Neb.reversed
Baker v. GeeDavisnonenoneC.C.D. Mo.affirmed
Lee v. WatsonFieldnonenoneC.C.D. Ky.dismissed
Bloomer v. MillingerCliffordnonenoneC.C.W.D. Pa.affirmed
United States v. AuguisolaFieldnonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
Schuchardt v. AllensSwaynenonenoneC.C.S.D.N.Y.affirmed
Hardy v. JohnsonFieldnonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.affirmed
Iasigi & G. v. CollectorNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.affirmed
Meyer v. City of MuscatineSwaynenoneMillerD. Iowareversed
Woods v. FreemanDavisnonenoneC.C.N.D. Ill.affirmed
United States v. MorenoSwaynenonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
Bronson v. La Crosse & M.R.R. Co.NelsonnoneCatronD. Wis.reversed
United States v. YorbaFieldnonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
Niswanger v. SaundersCatronnonenoneOhioreversed
United States v. HalleckFieldnonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
Orient M. Ins. Co. v. WrightMillerNelsonSwaynenot indicatedaffirmed
Homer v. CollectorNelsonnonenoneC.C.D. Mass.certification
Turrill v. Michigan S.R.R. Co.CliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Mich.reversed
Roosevelt v. MeyerWaynenonenoneN.Y.dismissed
Wheeler v. SageDavisnonenoneD. Wis.affirmed
Burr v. Duryee IGriernonenoneC.C.D.N.J.affirmed
Burr v. Duryee IIper curiamnonenoneC.C.D.N.J.affirmed
Burr v. Duryee IIIper curiamnonenoneC.C.D.N.J.affirmed
Rodrigues v. United StatesMillernonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
Pomeroy's Lessee v. State Bank IICliffordnonenoneC.C.D. Ind.affirmed
Spain v. Hamilton's Adm'rWaynenonenoneC.C.D.C.affirmed
Gray v. BrignardelloDavisnonenoneC.C.N.D. Cal.multiple
Beaver v. TaylorSwaynenonenoneC.C.S.D. Ill.reversed
Rogers v. MarshalDavisnonenoneC.C.D. Wis.affirmed
Blossom v. Milwaukee & C.R.R. Co.MillernonenoneD. Wis.dismissal denied
United States v. VallejoMillernonenoneS.D. Cal.affirmed
White v. United StatesSwaynenonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
The ResoluteCliffordnonenonenot indicatedregs interpreted
Parker v. PhetteplaceNelsonnonenoneC.C.D.R.I.affirmed
United States v. GomezCliffordnonenoneS.D. Cal.dismissal denied
Houghton v. JonesFieldnonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
United States v. MorilloMillernonenoneS.D. Cal.dismissed
United States v. EstudilloFieldnonenoneN.D. Cal.dismissed
Romero v. United StatesCliffordnonenoneN.D. Cal.affirmed
United States v. WorkmanCliffordnonenoneS.D. Cal.reversed
United States v. JonesCliffordnonenoneS.D. Cal.reversed