The following collection details the cases Bushrod encountered while serving on the Circuit Court of the United States for the Third Circuit between 1803 and 1829. The Third Circuit consisted of the District of New Jersey and the District of Eastern Pennsylvania. Bushrod rode circuit to these courts for both a fall and spring term. He corresponded frequently with Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, and their discussions helped both justices determine difficult legal applications and interpretations. Many of these cases involved bankruptcy, copyright, criminal, maritime, and patent law.
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I returned from my Circuit yesterday after an absence of 3 months wanting as many days.
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I should have written you a long time ago, if I had completed the duties of my last circuit, so as to give you all the results.
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Yesterday was the first day that I was at liberty to read your letter of the 19th July with the attention it deserved, and to look into a few Cases.… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 9 Aug. 1821
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Before I proceed to business, I must account for my long but involuntary silence.
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Altho I have been at home upwards of six weeks, yet this is the first day when it has been in my power to write to you.
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Your letter of the 11th July found me upon a bed of sickness, from which I was not very soon relieved.
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I owe you an apology for not having returned an earlier answer to your letter of the 20th June.
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Your letter would have been sooner answered if I had not known that you had Courts to attend which would detain you for some time from home.… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 27 Nov. 1825
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It has given me inexpressible pleasure to receive a letter from you; for the newspaper statement of your indisposition led me to fear that you were quite ill— I rejoice that you are so much recovered… Continue Reading From Joseph Story, 9 Dec. 1826
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I have Just read over the Case of Sperry vs. DE Ins.
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I owe you an apology for my long silence & especially as I have two letters of yours unanswered. My Cirt.
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I have read over all the cases in my note books to the end of the fall term of 1809, with some attention, and now enclose you some observations upon such of the cases as seemed to merit criticis… Continue Reading To John Bradford Wallace, 24 Dec. 1816
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The foregoing are the principal cases decided in my last Circuit, which are susceptible of an abridged statement, that will make the case intelligible.… Continue Reading From Smith Thompson, 7 Jan. 1826
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I returned home two or three days ago, after an absence of more than 3 months, when I had the pleasure to recieve from the post office your very friendly and interesting letter of the 2d Septr— For your kind & affectionate wi… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 25 Nov. 1824
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As Mr Sparks will probably leave this in a few days for Boston, I have determined, altho but half settled at home after an absence of 4 or 5 months, to prepare my letter to you that it may be ready f… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 21 May 1827
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Your favor of the 25th inst., recd today, induces me to do immediately what I had mentally arranged to do after my return from Trenton—answer your interesting letter of the 4th July.… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 28 Sept. 1827
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It is about a week since I returned home, the session of the Phila. Court having been abridged by a severe rheumatic attack, which confined me to the house for many days prior to my departure.
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There were so few cases of importance decided at my spring circuit, that I thought it would be best to wait for the fall Sessions, and to give you the whole in one letter. This task it is now my intention to perform.… Continue Reading To Joseph Story, 26 Nov. 1828
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I have just closed a very laborious autumnal circuit, in the course of which many highly important questions have been decided— I would send you an abstract of them, if I could command leisure just now; but my whole attention is… Continue Reading From Joseph Story, 2 Jan. 1814
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I recd yesterday, at this place, your favor of the 30th Ulto.— Had it come to hand before I left Mount Vernon, it is highly probable I could have found amongst my papers a rough Copy… Continue Reading To Samuel Lewis Southard, 1 Feb. 1822