Order Cases Online
The files located in the Tennessee Supreme Court Cases represent an especially valuable resource for historical and genealogical research at the Tennessee State Library and Archives [TSLA].
Use quotes for an exact search. ex. "J. W."
View Entry | Year | Case Name | County | Cause/Crime | Case Description | Division | Location | # Pages | Order |
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View Entry | 1859 | Allen Brown v. Hugh Brown | Maury | Slaves, Ownership of |
Plaintiff is appealing the charge that he unlawfully possesses slaves that belong to the Defendant. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 271 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Bank of America et al.v. Bank of Louisville | Montgomery | Recovery of Money/ Wages |
Monies had originally been paid by W.E. Newell and Co. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 262 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | E. L. Williams et al. v. John Bowman et al. | Montgomery | Slaves, Selling of |
Dispute about the purchase agreement for the sale of slaves |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 262 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | G. Parkhouse, et al. v. Abraham Litton, et al. | Overton | Land, Sale of |
Additional plaintiffs: Jonathon D. Hall, Alfred J. McKay. Additional defendants: Jane E. Litton, J.A. Litton, Francis Thomas, B.R. Thomas, John Thomas, Harry Thomas. Exhibit materials include a map of Litton's estate, pamphlet with map of the Manning lands in Overton, Tennessee. Map located in MT Oversize Box 5. 3 folders. |
Middle | Range: 34 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 674 | 791 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | H.K. Riley et al.v. William E. Byrd et al | Hancock | Trespass with Force of Arms |
Add. plaintiff: Joseph Mahan. Add. defendant: William Treat. The defendants allegedly broke into the property of the plaintiffs and ejected then unlawfully and took possession of the property. sued for damages of $500. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1172 | 134 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Henry G. Cooke v. The Masonic Education Association of Chattanooga | Hamilton | Non-payment of Goods/ Wages/ Service |
Plaintiff filed the suit to recover $466.92 for services rendered without payment and $100 in damages for the defendant unjustly detaining this debt. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1173 | 10 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Isaac (col.) by his next friend George Harrison v. Henry Farnsworth, John McCampbell, Frederick Devitt, Sarah Howard, John Russell& his wife, William& Francis Gilbert | Greene | Slaves, Ownership of |
Isaac was the slave of Francis Devitt. She told Isaac if he served her faithfully for a few years that she would emancipate him. After several years, she told him that she was going to sell him but with the promise of freedom after eight years. After six years, Henry showed up with a bill of sale for Isaac. His current owner was afraid of a lawsuit thus he sold Isaac to Henry. Isaac charges that they cheated and defrauded him out of his freedom. Note: Slavery |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1141 | 116 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | James Davis, et al. v. John S. Petway, et al. | Davidson | Land, Sale of |
Additional Plaintiffs: E. H. Childress, Jr., G. C. Cantrell. Additional Defendants: William Petway, John K. Henne. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 311 | 89 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | John Archer v. Jonathan Murrell et al | Sullivan | Non-payment of Goods/ Wages/ Service |
Add. defendants: Isaac O'Morrell & Jonathan Conles. Defendants are school commissioners who failed to pay the defendant for his service of teaching in a county school house. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1172 | 6 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Joseph C. Hite v. Ammon L. Davis, et al. | Davidson | Breach of Contract |
Additional defendants: Owen H. Davis, John D. Taylor, W. Weaver. Concerns steamboat. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 262 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Lewis B. Marks v. Ananias Oliver& Samuel Gilliam | Giles | Breach of Contract |
Case also involves a debt dispute. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 277 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Mac Fisher v. William F. Harris et al | Hamilton | Non-payment of Goods/ Wages/ Service |
Plaintiff is a carpenter, who has completed many projects for defendant including: installed woodwork in his house, constructed carriage house and other buildings, and work on town lot in Chattanooga. Plaintiff charges defendant non-payment of $966.21 Harris executed by deed of trust to James Curry, all his property. Additional defendants: J. Curry, Tomlinson Fort (had a vendors lien on Harris's house), the Union Bank of Tennessee (deed of trust) |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1139 | 107 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Martha Green et al. v. John Goodall | Wilson | Slaves, Ownership of |
Dispute between Plaintiffs and their mother's new husband over the ownership of a slave named Easter |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 262 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Miller F. Rice, the next friend of Nancy Senter, a minor v. James P. Senter et al. | McMinn | Slaves, Selling of |
Nancy Senter, a minor, inherited two slaves from her father. When Nancy married, her husband sold the slaves. She claims that her other siblings had title to the slaves and that the sale should be cancelled. Additional Defendants: John M. Mattock, Srah Amwine, Henry Mattock, George Mattock, Martha Purcell, William Purcell, John Lenty, Elizbeth Lenty, Edward Hyatt, William McBurney, William Hasteline, A. L. Gillespie. See also box 1575 |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1139 | 74 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Mary A. E. Pickens, exe. v. Arthur A. Campbell & William R. Davis | Bradley | Dissolution of Partnership |
Plaintiff is the executor of the estate of William K. Pickens (dec.). The defendants are the surviving partners of William K. Pickens & Company that bought and sold goods and merchandise. By contract, W.K. Pickens was to receive one-half of the profits and the defendants, one-forth each. After his death, the defendants continued the business. The plaintiff tried collecting notes on her husband's share for payments due by clients to pay the debts on the estate, but defendants used them for personal use. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1176 | 263 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad Company v. H. C. Blessing | Davidson | Trespass with Force of Arms |
Case also involves a charge of "Felonious Killing of Livestock." |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 289 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. Robert W. Hopper | Washington | Breach of Trust |
Nov. 17th, 1858, defendant received a horse valued at $100 from Joseph A. Leonard by contractual agreement for the use of defendant & son. On the same day, defendant sold said horse to Thomas Burton, in exchange for cash, bank note, groceries and brandy The following day, Joseph Leonard claimed the horse that Burton bought of Hopper. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1141 | 22 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. John H. Lovel | Cocke | Conversion of Property |
Lovel charged with trespassing & cutting timber (40 trees) on Cocke County land belonging to John Gillett, whose land adjoined the land of Lovel's father and on which Lovel had built a house. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1132 | 22 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. Alexander Ramsey | Knox | Obstructing a Public Road/Road/Right of Way |
The defendant lived on a public road and put up fences and other obstructions near the property to prevent people from passing by either on horseback or on foot. Case brought against him for impeding the public access through the highway and damaging property of the state in the form of the highway. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1176 | 14 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. Nathan Almany | Sullivan | Destruction of Property/ Petition t |
Almany was accused of cutting down timber and destroying wood that did not belong to him. William B. White and his heirs owned property. Details the types of trees grown on the property. Case involves sale of land and debt settlement as well. |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 2a | 24 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. Pleasant White | Anderson | Disturbance of Public Worship |
White accused of disturbing a congregation by "going drunken into and at said congregation" & "vomiting from drunkenness in the presence of the said congregation" & so doing "in contempt of religion to the manifest corruption of public morals." Jury found White guilty as charged. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1142 | 8 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. James Mabry | Anderson | Felonious Killing/Wounding of Livestock |
Felonious assault with a knife. Victim: William Huckaby. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1173 | 28 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | State v. Robert H. Carden | Monroe | Felonious Killing/Wounding of Livestock |
Grand jury indicted Carden for a felony for biting off a piece of the left ear of James Everhart, causing his disfigurement, which occurred while Carden & Everhart were engaged in "personal combat." Jury found him not guilty of the felony (mayhem) but guilty of assault & battery, requiring him to pay a $95 fine. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1180 | 9 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Thomas S. Powell v. William R. Lount | Knox | Slaves, Selling of |
Caleb Powell was the owner of 22 slaves and executed a deed of gift to the plaintiff for that population. The defendant is the husband of a woman said to be the daughter of Caleb Powell, possibly from an unwed woman. The defendant fraudulently obtained a bill of sale supposedly from the plaintiff for the slaves, claiming to have paid $1,500 for them. The plaintiff filed the bill to declare the bill of sale fraudulent and and to remain the owner of the population. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1172 | 162 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | William Wood v. James Mason et al. | Coffee | Land, Sale of |
Additional plaintiffs: W. J. Dillard, Joseph Walker. Additional Defendants: William G. Haile and Millie Haile, Rebecca Mason, Jethro D. Conway, Temperance McMahon, Redding Whitehead, Edwin Whitehead, Andrew Whitehead, Joseph Whitehead, John Whitehead, William Clark, Elizabeth Clark, John Jordon, Millie Jordan, William Teague, Temperance Teague, Jacquie Ann Davidson, Mary Haile, Mary E. Mason, John F. Mason, Clara Mason, Mary Robinson, L. M. Robinson, R. J. Keele, Laura Ann Keele, William Lowry, others. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 311 | 0 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | Will of William Bullard | Claiborne | Wills, Construction of |
Incomplete file containing only will of William Bullard. Wife Barthena Bullard. Children: Susan Burchfield, Joseph H. Bullard, Daniel C. Bullard, George B. Bullard, Sarah L. Bullard, Benjamin P. Bullard, Martha Jane Bullard, William B. Reece Bullard, & Mary Jane Bullard. Negro slaves: Jake, Rose, Anthony, Nancy, Betsey, Bob, Jack, Caroline, Eliza, William, Lucinda, Barthena, Charity, Lucy, Tim, Julia Ann, Eva Jane, Henry, John, Nelson, Will, Lurany, Maria. Lots of land described in will. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1132 | 16 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | William M. Lawson, et al.v. Alexander & McCamy/McKamy | Bradley | Breach of Official Duty |
Additional Plaintiffs: William Blair & Silas M. Ware. Plaintiffs part of law firm employed by defendants. Alexander & MCamy merchant firm comprised of _______ Alexander & William H. McCamy. Lawson had been elected county constable. Defendants originally sued for $250 damages, charging the firm with breach of covenant. On 2 Sept. 1856 defendants won a $77.11 judgment against a Thomas Lawson; W. M. Lawson broke his oath of constable by not properly executing a levy on his property. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1130 | 55 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | William Brown v. Benjamin F. Welckert & Eldridge A. Yost | Roane | Slaves, Selling of |
Witness J.M. Kincaid accompanied Def Brown to Richard Stegall's to settle a matter referred to Kincaid & Def Yost by Brown & Def Welcker--Brown agreed to buy negro man from Welcker & pay $1200 if he was "as likely as one own by Brown" & if not, they would agree on value (they never did). At some point, Kincaid & Yost decided to have the parties resolve the matter themselves (such agreement apparently being made in a sort of Christmas frolic when both had been drinking). Dispute over contract & amount owed. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1142 | 16 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1859 | William Murphey v. William L. Moss, et al. | Claiborne | Slaves, Ownership of |
William Goin, in his will, bequeathed to his daughter Elizabeth Murphey (wife of complainant) a slave named Malinda. After the probate, Malinda was reduced to William Murphey's possession. During her enslavement she gave birth to George, Nancy, Charles, Brown, Mary, and James. In 1856 some of them were wrongfully levied upon for a debt incurred by Murphey's son. Disputing ownership were Pleasant Murphy, C. Y. Rice, William Kirkpatrick, and Nelson McCrary. |
East | Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1179 | 83 | Order A Copy |