Johnson v. Cox

*600Opinion of the Court by

Judge Williams:

As decided by this court in Terrill v. Rankin, 2 Bush, 456, and in Lewis v. McGuire, 3 Bush, 202,

“To justify the taking of property from the peaceable noncombatant citizens of Kentucky by a military officer, it must appear that it was done under a legitimate proceeding and exercise of the power of impressment, or of military contribution, or exercise of some other legitimate belligerent right.”

That neither the laws of war nor of nations sanction indiscriminate plunder, nor does the right of impressment, or right to exact military contribution belong to…