In Dimock v. Revere Copper Company, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a contract between two parties was valid and enforceable. The plaintiff, Dimock, had contracted with the defendant, Revere Copper Company, to purchase a certain amount of copper. Dimock had paid the full amount for the copper, but Revere Copper Company had failed to deliver the copper. Dimock then sued Revere Copper Company for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that the contract between the two parties was valid and enforceable. The Court found that the contract was supported by consideration, meaning that both parties had given something of value in exchange for the performance of the other. The Court also found that the contract was not void for lack of mutuality of obligation, meaning that both parties had an obligation to perform under the contract. The Court ultimately held that Dimock was entitled to recover the amount of money he had paid for the copper, plus interest, from Revere Copper Company. The Court also held that Dimock was entitled to recover damages for the breach of contract, including the cost of obtaining the copper from another source.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Dimock v. Revere Copper Company, arguing that the majority's decision was incorrect and should be reversed. He argued that a contract between two parties is binding upon them unless it can be shown to have been obtained by fraud or mistake, which had not been established in this case. Furthermore, he noted that even if there were some ambiguity as to what exactly was agreed upon between the parties, such ambiguities are generally resolved against those who drafted the agreement and thus any doubt should have favored Dimock rather than Revere Copper Company. In addition, Justice Field argued that while courts may look at extrinsic evidence when interpreting contracts they must do so with caution because of its potential for bias and inaccuracy; however here no such evidence had been presented nor did it appear necessary given how clear-cut he believed the language of their agreement to be. Ultimately then Justice Field concluded his dissent by stating his belief that since neither party could prove fraud or mistake on behalf of either side then both were bound by their original contract terms and therefore Revere Copper Company owed Dimock $2 per ton for all ore mined from his land up until 1877 - a ruling which would reverse what had previously been decided by the majority opinion in this case.