Texas v. White

Appellant

State of Texas

Appellees

George W. White, John Chiles, et al.

Appellant's Claim

That securities sold to the appellees by a Confederate military board were the property of the state of Texas and should be returned.

Chief Lawyers for Appellant

R. T. Merrick, George W. Pascal

Chief Lawyers for Appellees

P. Phillips, J. M. Carlisle, S. S. Cox, J. W. Moore

Justices for the Court

Salmon Portland Chase (writing for the Court), Nathan Clifford, David Davis, Stephen Johnson Field, Samuel Nelson

Justices Dissenting

Robert Cooper Grier, Samuel Freeman Miller, Noah Haynes Swayne (James M. Wayne had died in office and had not been replaced)

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

12 April 1869

Decision

In favor of the state of Texas.

Significance

By declaring that the Confederate states had never legally been severed from the United States, the Court provided a legal basis for Reconstruction to proceed.

Related Cases

• Luther v. Borden, 48 U.S. 1 (1849).
• National League of Cities v. Usery, 426 U.S. 833 (1976).