Tristram Clark, Royal Williams, Ebenezer McLellan, Thomas McLellan and James R. S. Williams (the claimants) appealed to the US Supreme Court against Nathaniel Barnwell and James Ravenel (copartners trading under the firm of Barnwell & Raven). The claimants were owners of a barque named Susan W. Lind which had been seized by the copartners for non-payment of debt owed to them from a prior voyage in 1848. The claimants argued that they should not be held liable for this debt as it was incurred before their ownership began in 1850; however, the lower court ruled that they were still responsible due to an implied warranty on behalf of all subsequent owners when purchasing vessels at sea or abroad. On appeal to the US Supreme Court, Justice Grier delivered his opinion affirming the decision below: although there is no express contract between parties upon sale or transfer of vessel ownership at sea or abroad, there is an implied warranty that any debts accrued during previous voyages will be paid off by new owner(s). As such, he concluded that despite having purchased after incurring said debt on its prior voyage in 1848 - thus making them only secondarily liable - these appellants must pay off what was owed from this earlier voyage according to law.

In the dissenting opinion of this US Supreme Court case, Justice McLean argued that the claimants should have been awarded damages for their losses. He believed that Barnwell & Raven had acted negligently in failing to properly insure and protect the vessel, which resulted in its loss at sea. Furthermore, he argued that there was no evidence presented by either party to suggest otherwise. Therefore, Justice McLean concluded that it would be unjust not to award damages for such negligence on behalf of Barnwell & Raven. As a result, he dissented from the majority opinion and voted against dismissing the claim without awarding any compensation or relief whatsoever to the claimants.