# List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 79

This is a list of cases reported in volume 79 (12 Wall.) of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1871 and 1872, and one case from 1870.

## 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 (these are called "nominative reports").

### 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, Fowler v. Rathbones is 79 U.S. (12 Wall.) 102 (1871).
Wallace's Reports were the final nominative reports for the US Supreme Court; starting with volume 91, cases were identified simply as "(volume #) U.S. (page #) (year)".

## Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of 79 U.S. (12 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 (one chief justice and five associate justices). Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice).
When the cases in 79 U.S. (12 Wall.) were decided the Court comprised these nine members:
| Justice | Office | Home State | Succeeded | Date confirmed by the Senate (Vote) | Tenure on Supreme Court |
| Salmon P. Chase | Chief Justice | Ohio | Roger B. Taney | December 6, 1864 (Acclamation) | December 15, 1864 – May 7, 1873 (Died) |
| Samuel Nelson | Associate Justice | New York | Smith Thompson | February 14, 1845 (Acclamation) | February 27, 1845 – November 28, 1872 (Retired) |
| Nathan Clifford | Associate Justice | Maine | Benjamin Robbins Curtis | January 12, 1858 (26–23) | January 21, 1858 – July 25, 1881 (Died) |
| Noah Haynes Swayne | Associate Justice | Ohio | John McLean | January 24, 1862 (38–1) | January 27, 1862 – January 24, 1881 (Retired) |
| Samuel Freeman Miller | Associate Justice | Iowa | Peter Vivian Daniel | July 16, 1862 (Acclamation) | July 21, 1862 – October 13, 1890 (Died) |
| David Davis | Associate Justice | Illinois | John Archibald Campbell | December 8, 1862 (Acclamation) | December 10, 1862 – March 4, 1877 (Resigned) |
| Stephen Johnson Field | Associate Justice | California | newly created seat | March 10, 1863 (Acclamation) | May 10, 1863 – December 1, 1897 (Retired) |
| William Strong | Associate Justice | Pennsylvania | Robert Cooper Grier | February 18, 1870 (No vote recorded) | March 14, 1870 – December 14, 1880 (Retired) |
| Joseph P. Bradley | Associate Justice | New Jersey | newly created seat | March 21, 1870 (46–9) | March 23, 1870 – January 22, 1892 (Died) |

## Notable Cases in 79 U.S. (12 Wall.)
### Legal Tender Cases

The Legal Tender Cases 79 U.S. (12 Wall.) 457 (1871) were two consolidated cases that affirmed the constitutionality of paper money. The U.S. government had issued paper money known as United States Notes during the American Civil War under the Legal Tender Act of 1861. In the Legal Tender Cases the Court held that United States Notes could be used to re-pay pre-existing debts.

## 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 (from the US District Courts) 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 (i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). 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.
* "C.C.D." = United States Circuit Court for the District of . . .
** e.g.,"C.C.D.N.J." = United States Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey
* "D." = United States District Court for the District of . . .
** e.g.,"D. Mass." = United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
* "E." = Eastern; "M." = Middle; "N." = Northern; "S." = Southern; "W." = Western
** e.g.,"C.C.S.D.N.Y." = United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York
** e.g.,"M.D. Ala." = United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
* "Ct. Cl." = United States Court of Claims
* The abbreviation of a state's name alone indicates the highest appellate court in that state's judiciary at the time.
** e.g.,"Pa." = Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
** e.g.,"Me." = Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

## List of cases in 79 U.S. (12 Wall.)

| Case Name | Page & year | Opinion of the Court | Concurring opinion(s) | Dissenting opinion(s) | Lower Court | Disposition |
| Collector v. Hubbard | 1 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | Conn. | reversed |
| Sturges v. Collector | 19 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| The Maria Martin | 31 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Wis. | affirmed |
| Philadelphia et al. R.R. Co. v. Dubois | 47 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.D. Md. | affirmed |
| Baltimore & O.R.R. Co. v. Harris | 65 (1871) | Swayne | none | none | Sup. Ct. D.C. | affirmed |
| French v. Shoemaker | 86 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Va. | dismissal denied |
| Fowler v. Rathbones | 102 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Noonan v. Bradley | 121 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Wis. | abatement denied |
| New Orleans M. Co. v. Flanders | 130 (1870) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.E.D. La. | affirmed |
| The Eutaw | 136 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D.N.Y. | dismissal denied |
| Bigler v. Waller | 142 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Va. | dismissed |
| Baker v. Morton | 150 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Neb. | reversed |
| Miller v. New York | 159 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | N.Y. | advancement denied |
| Ward v. Maryland | 163 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | Md. | advancement denied |
| Merchants' Ins. Co. v. Huchbergers | 164 (1871) | Chase | none | none | N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| The Steamer Syracuse | 167 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Handlin v. Wickliffe | 173 (1871) | Chase | none | none | La. | affirmed |
| United States v. Crusell | 175 (1871) | Chase | none | none | Ct. Cl. | continued |
| United States v. Alexander | 177 (1871) | Strong | none | none | Ct. Cl. | reversed |
| Hoffman Co. v. Bank of Milw. | 181 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Wis. | affirmed |
| Howard F. Ins. v. Norwich et al. Co. | 194 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.D. Conn. | affirmed |
| Western M. Ins. Co. v. Transportation Co. | 201 (1871) | Strong | none | none | not indicated | affirmed |
| State Tonnage Tax Cases | 204 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | Tex. | reversed |
| Junction R.R. Co. v. Bank of Ashland | 226 (1871) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D. Ind. | affirmed |
| United States v. Child Co. | 232 (1871) | Miller | none | Clifford | Ct. Cl. | reversed |
| United States v. Burns | 246 (1871) | Field | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Holladay v. Kennard | 254 (1871) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | affirmed |
| Germain v. Mason | 259 (1871) | Miller | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Mont. | joinder denied |
| Hannibal et al. R.R. v. Swift | 262 (1871) | Field | none | none | C.C.D. Mo. | affirmed |
| Kearney v. Case | 275 (1871) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| Miller v. Brooklyn L. Ins. Co. | 285 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Md. | affirmed |
| Avery v. United States | 304 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.W.D. Tenn. | affirmed |
| Wadsworth v. Warren | 307 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.N.D. Ill. | affirmed |
| Perrin v. United States | 315 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Rogers v. Ritter | 317 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.D. Cal. | affirmed |
| Villa v. Rodriguez | 323 (1871) | Swayne | none | none | C.C.D. Cal. | reversed |
| Hanauer v. Doane | 342 (1871) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.E.D. Ark. | reversed |
| Thomas v. City of Richmond | 349 (1871) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D. Va. | affirmed |
| Smith v. Sheeley | 358 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.D. Neb. | affirmed |
| United States v. New Orleans R.R. | 362 (1871) | Bradley | none | none | C.C.D. Ky. | affirmed |
| The Spray | 366 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.D. Cal. | affirmed |
| Shoemaker v. Kingsbury | 369 (1871) | Field | none | none | C.C.D. Kan. | reversed |
| Knox v. Exchange Bank | 379 (1871) | Miller | none | none | Va. | dismissed |
| Northern R.R. v. New York | 384 (1871) | Miller | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | dismissed |
| The Western Metropolis | 389 (1871) | Chase | none | none | C.C.D.N.Y. | commission granted |
| Parker v. Latey | 390 (1871) | Clifford | none | none | C.C.D. Neb. | dismissed |
| Cooley v. O'Connor | 391 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.D.S.C. | reversed |
| Barth v. Clise | 400 (1871) | Swayne | none | none | C.C.D. Wis. | affirmed |
| Phoenix Ins. Co. v. Slaughter | 404 (1871) | Davis | none | none | C.C.S.D. Miss. | affirmed |
| Thorp v. Hammond | 408 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | reversed |
| Ward v. Maryland | 418 (1871) | Clifford | Bradley | none | Md. | reversed |
| Insurance Cos. v. Boykin | 433 (1871) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D.S.C. | reversed |
| Hennessy v. Sheldon | 440 (1871) | Chase | none | none | C.C.E.D. Tex. | affirmed |
| Walker v. Dreville | 440 (1871) | Miller | none | none | C.C.D. La. | dismissed |
| Scott v. United States | 443 (1871) | Swayne | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Edwards v. Tanneret | 446 (1871) | Strong | none | none | C.C.D. La. | affirmed |
| The Patapsco | 451 (1871) | Chase | none | none | C.C.S.D.N.Y. | dismissal denied |
| Hall v. Allen's Assignee | 452 (1871) | Chase | none | none | C.C.D. Mo. | dismissed |
| New York v. Central R.R. Co. | 455 (1871) | Chase | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | dismissed |
| Legal Tender Cases | 457 (1871) | Strong | Bradley | Chase; Clifford; Field | multiple | affirmed |
| Bronson's Ex'r v. Chappell | 681 (1871) | Swayne | none | none | C.C.D. Wis. | affirmed |
| Trebilcock v. Wilson | 687 (1872) | Field | none | Bradley; Miller | Iowa | reversed |
| The Protector | 700 (1872) | Chase | none | none | C.C.D. La. | dismissed |