Civil War Suits in the U.S. Court of Claims: Cases Involving Compensation to Northerners and Southerners

The aftermath of the Civil War presented exceptional legal questions. Bitter strife and desperate shortages on both sides resulted in extreme wartime measures enacted by the United States government. The Confiscation Act of 1861, which legalized the seizure of property, proved particularly harsh. To soften the effects of this act on loyal citizens residing in Confederate territory, the Act of March 12, 1863, created the special legal theory of abandoned or captured property. This legislation set up a special Treasury fund to reimburse owners for loss of goods upon proof of ownership and verification of loyalty to the Union. After the war, more than 500 plaintiffs brought a total of 1578 claims against the United States government regarding wartime losses they had suffered.

Arranged alphabetically by claimant surname, the entries in this book present the particulars of the cases heard by the United States Court of Claims after the war. A concise overview regarding legal aspects of the war is provided, with the main body of the work focusing on the cases. Necessarily limited to those reported in detail by the courts, the discussion of these claims include disputed contracts; pay disputes; compensation for use of property or property lost, destroyed or damaged; and quartermaster or paymaster money stolen, captured, or lost. Suits filed by northern states to recover war expenses are also listed. Appendices include 1860 census data, federal revised statutes, relevant acts of Congress and the 1864 Kentucky Draft Case claimants.