Winchester & Potomac Railroad v. United States
United States Court of Claims
The Reporters’ statement of tbe case: The following are the facts of this case as found by the court: I. The claimant was, in 1862, and is now, a body corporate, owning a line of railroad running from Harpers Ferry, in the State of West Virginia, to Winchester, in the State of Virginia, and had owned the same for many years prior to 1862. The road was 32 miles in length, of which 22 were in the State of West Virginia and 10 in the State of Virginia.
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The Reporters’ statement of tbe case: The following are the facts of this case as found by the court: I. The claimant was, in 1862, and is now, a body corporate, owning a line of railroad running from Harpers Ferry, in the State of West Virginia, to Winchester, in the State of Virginia, and had owned the same for many years prior to 1862. The road was 32 miles in length, of which 22 were in the State of West Virginia and 10 in the State of Virginia. The capital stock of the company was largely owned by citizens of loyal States. II. Some time in March, 1862, the military authorities of the…
1Opinion of the Court
Eichabdson, Ch. J.,
delivered the opinion of the court:
It is a well-known historical fact that soon after the commencement of the war of the rebellion the Government took control of all the railroads in the seceding States. There was appointed a “ director and general manager of military railroads,” and the business formed one of the divisions of the Quartermaster-General’s Office in the War Department.
The claimant’s road, being so situated, was taken actual possession of, repaired, and run by the defendants. In making the repairs there was removed from the road a quantity of scrap iron, and “…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Finn v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1887
- United States v. LippittSupreme Court of the United States · 1880
- Fisher v. Division of HighwaysWest Virginia Court of Claims · 1996