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 | 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 |