Tennessee Supreme Court Cases

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View Entry Year Case Name County Cause/Crime Case Description Division Location # Pages Order
View Entry 1858 Benjamin F. McGehee & John Gould v. Sewanee Mining Co. Davidson Breach of Contract

Case also involves a debt dispute.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 269 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Charles Hill v. Enoch George DeKalb Unlawful Selling of Goods

Cause of Action: Trespass on the case. Def. took and sold 20 barrels of corn that were the property of the Plaintiff.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 267 12 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Daniel S. Lavender, Jr. v. Phillip White Morgan Trespass with Force of Arms

And ejectment of the plaintiff from his home with damages of $500.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1160 45 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Eli Colter v. William A. Sorrells Marion Conversion of Property

Colter sued Sorrells for unlawfully taking & retaining corn from him, which corn Colter raised as a renter on Sorrells' land but which was separate from corn Colter paid Sorrells as rent. Jury ruled in Colter's favor but awarded just one cent in damages. Witnesses: James Colter, A. Minter, S. D. Brackins.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1177 7 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Hugh Brown v. Hamilton & Allen Brown Maury Slaves, Ownership of

Dispute over the ownership of 9 slaves in which the plaintiff has owned for 6 years and has never meant to convey the ownership of these slaves to anyone else. Hamilton Brown of North Carolina had a bill of sale for these slaves.

 Middle Range: 34 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: Oversize 3 87 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 John Malone& James Lott admr., for Richard Malone, dec., widow Lucy, et al. v. James Malone & Anderson Malone Union Slaves, Selling of

Plaintiffs: Rebecca Lott, Valentine Turner, Lucinda Turner, Rebecca Malone, Sarah Malone, petition to be allowed to sell three of Richard Malone's enslaved workers. They include Betty (75), Hannah (44), Jesse (39). However, because the number of slaves is odd, they argue they cannot be divided among the heirs evenly. Tells the chain of sale of the enslaved people to their new slaveholders. Second cause at back of case is petition to sell land from same estate.

 East Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 2a 14 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 John Cameron v. Jacob Ottinger Cocke Slaves, Selling of

Ottinger sold Cameron a negro slave Eliza, for $525. Cameron claimed that, before the sale, Ottinger falsely misrepresented the slave as being healthy when in fact he knew she was not, as evidenced by her death from consumption soon after the sale. Cameron sued Ottinger for $1,000 in damages. 1st jury couldn't agree on verdict (mistrial). 2nd jury ruled in Ottinger's favor, Cameron appealed. Witnesses: Peggy Oneal (lived with Cameron), James M. Yett (knew Eliza's family), Catherine Ottinger, others.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1177 67 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 John Mitchell v. Elijah A. Kimbrough Giles Trespass with Force of Arms

Case also includes a suit for damages.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 271 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 John T. Medaris, et al. v. State Bedford Breach of Contract

Plaintiffs: Henry Dean and Edmund Cooper.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 271 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 James A. Cope v. Elijah Garrett & Valentine Sublett Overton Felonious Killing/Wounding of Livestock

Trespass on the case. The Plaintiff charges that the Defendants took, killed and converted his property - a steer.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 273 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Jason F. Brittain v. Arie Kincade Bedford Breach of Contract

Contract was a fee for a tract of land.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 267 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 John Dennis v. Robert Large Cocke Trespass with Force of Arms

Trespass with force of arms and ditching the plaintiff's land, making water overflow, damaging the land. sued for damages of $50.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1161 45 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Marshall B. Duncan v. William Kearley Smith Breach of Warranty

Cause of Action: Trespass on the Case. Damages: over $2000. Sale of slaves: Arzella and her two children - Samuel and Henry. Plaintiff represented that the slaves were healthy but two died and one is living with disease.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 273 62 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 M. G. Elkins v. William Cummings Cannon Breach of Contract

Contract was for a parcel of land.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 267 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Nathan Smith v. The Western & Atlantic Rail Road of Georgia Hamilton Slaves, Ownership of

Nathan possessed mulatto woman slave Mary, who he claims Rail Road allowed to be taken from him & transported to Georgia. Rail Road claims slave belonged to Nathan's father-in-law, John P. Scott, who directed Rail Road not to return Mary to Chattanooga. Mary first came to Chattanooga with Nathan's wife when she was returning from visiting Scott, who was sick, expected to die. Witnesses: J. G. McGinnis (train conductor), Daniel Smith, Cynthia Kyle (mother-in-law of Scott's daughter). Jury ruled for Def.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1177 24 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 R. M. Whitson v. G. W. Fowlkes Hickman Slaves, Ownership of Middle Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 277 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Rachel A. Sawyers, By Guardian J. C. N. Sawyers v. John Zachry Knox Trespass with Force of Arms

Plaintiff sued for $1,000 damages, alleging that on 10 March 1854 Zachry illegally took possession of a close and lot belonging to her, keeping her from it for a "long time". He also reduced the property's value by cutting timber valued at about $100.

 East Range: 9 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1188 14 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 R. M. Whitson v. G. W. Fowlkes Hickman Slaves, Ownership of Middle Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 279 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 State v. Ale Hatfield Scott Liquor, Sale of Illegal

Ale Hatfield is charged with selling liquor.

 East Range: 9 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 1100 6 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Samers & Magee v. Francis Albest Polk Non-payment of Goods/ Wages/ Service

Missing first 4 pages. The plaintiff company has requested but not been paid the sum of $391 for services rendered.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1163 54 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 Thomas Boyd v. James A. Mabry Knox Non-payment of Bank Note

Defendant executed a written note to the plaintiff for $1,000 due one year after the date it was created. He failed to pay the plaintiff the sum of the note.

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1161 7 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 William Brown v. William A. Allen Bedford Slaves, Ownership of

Defendant is charged with detaining "a negro man named Perry" from the Plaintiff. Plaintiff is also sued for damages.

 Middle Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 281 0 Order A Copy
View Entry 1858 William D. Smith, exe. of Jackson Smith, dec. v. Charles Metcalfe McMinn Slaves, Ownership of

Cause of action: detainer for slave; dispute re negro woman Betty, age 40 or 45. pla. "casually lost" Betty out of his possession. Metcalfe somehow obtained her & did not return her to pla., despite knowing she was his. Jury ruled in Metcalfe's favor. Jackson left life estate in sawmill & grist mill profits (& other property) to wife Elizabeth; also some to daughters Haley, Harriet Grills, Amanda Riggs, & pla. son. Left 0 to son Nathaniel or son-in-law Alexander Lowry, "profligates disposed to waste".

 East Range: 9 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1177 14 Order A Copy