United States v. Pacific Railroad, 120 U.S. 227 (1887)
U.S. Supreme Court
United States v. Pacific Railroad, 120 U.S. 227 (1887)
United States v. Pacific Railroad
Submitted January 10, 1887
Decided January 31, 1887
120 U.S. 227
Syllabus
The United States are not responsible for the injury or destruction of private property caused by their military operations during the late civil war, nor are private parties chargeable for works constructed on their property by the United States to facilitate such operations.
Accordingly, where bridges on the line of a railroad were destroyed during the civil war by either of the contending forces, their subsequent rebuilding by the United states as a measure of military necessity, without the request of, or any contract with, the owner of the railroad imposes no liability upon such owner.
These were appeals from the Court of Claims. The case is stated in the opinion of the Court.