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Mixed Case Files, 1790 - 1860, Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009

More About This Collection

Date of Original
1790/1860

Subject
Law and legislation

Location
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018

Medium
judicial records

Type
Text

Description
This series consists of admiralty and law, criminal, bankruptcy, and equity cases completed through 1860, adjucated at the court in Savannah. The case files typically include written charges or allegations by the plaintiffs; pleas, answers, and demurrers by the defendant; appearance of attorneys; bonds and recognizances; motions, declarations, stipulations, certificates, petitions, memorandums, affidavits, interrogatories, and transcripts of testimony; warrants, summonses, subpoenas, and capiases; praecipes and instructions to U.S. Marshals and Commissioners; exhibits, opinions, decrees, decisions and orders of the court; jury verdicts; bills of cost; correspondence relating to the case; and various appeal records. Some cases contain records related to confiscation and forfeitures for smuggling, illegal entry of goods, nonpayment of tariff duties, and other violations of customs and revenue laws including the Non-Intercourse and Embargo Acts of the 1812 period, and prizes captured during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
Admiralty cases dealing with salvage rights, payment of seamen's wages, contract violations, damages and collisions, insurance and mortgage foreclosures also may predominate in this period. Files may contain complaints, claims, and libels by information along with ship's papers, licenses, manifests, crew lists, survey and inspection reports, and bills of sale for ships and cargoes.
Criminal case files may contain copies of grand jury indictments and information filed by the U.S. Attorney, along with subsequent nolle prosequis, and deal with violations of customs, revenue, immigration, postal, food and drug laws, and a wide variety of federal offenses including mutiny at sea, passing counterfeit currency, default on bonds, embezzlement from national banks, and fraudulent claims against the government.
Civil case files in law and equity may contain bills, declarations, petitions, and other documents, including restraining orders and injunctions, relating to practices, recovery of debts, ancillary bankruptcy proceedings, and torts based on damages or injury. Other files concern civil matters such as land taking by the government and habeas corpus petitions.
Accompanying the case files are miscellaneous term papers, such as jury venires, appointments, bonds, and oaths.

Metadata URL
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2581156

Language
eng

Holding Institution
United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Atlanta Branch

Rights