Cragin v. Powell was a Supreme Court case decided in 1876. The case involved a dispute between two parties over a contract for the sale of a steamboat. The plaintiff, Cragin, had entered into a contract with the defendant, Powell, to purchase a steamboat for $2,000. Cragin paid the full amount, but Powell refused to deliver the boat. Cragin then sued Powell for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that Powell was liable for breach of contract. The Court found that the contract was valid and enforceable, and that Powell had breached it by failing to deliver the boat. The Court also held that Cragin was entitled to damages for the breach, and awarded him the full purchase price of the boat, plus interest. The decision in Cragin v. Powell established the principle that a contract is binding and enforceable, and that a party who breaches a contract is liable for damages. This case is still cited today as an example of the importance of upholding contracts and enforcing their terms.

In the case of Cragin v. Powell, Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority's decision was an unconstitutional extension of federal power over state governments and their citizens. He noted that Congress had no authority to pass laws regulating elections for state officers, as it did with the Enforcement Act of 1870. Furthermore, he argued that even if Congress had such authority, this particular law violated due process by allowing military personnel to interfere in civil matters without any judicial oversight or review. Finally, Justice Field asserted that there was no evidence presented at trial showing how African Americans were being denied their right to vote on account of race or color; thus making it impossible for him to agree with the majority's conclusion regarding racial discrimination in voting practices within Mississippi during Reconstruction-era elections.