Dow v. Humbert et al. was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1875. The case involved a dispute between the Dow family and the Humbert family over the ownership of a tract of land in the state of Illinois. The Dow family had purchased the land from the United States government in 1835, but the Humbert family had been living on the land since 1831. The Dow family argued that they had a valid title to the land, while the Humbert family argued that they had a valid claim to the land based on their long-term occupancy. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Dow family, ruling that the Dow family had a valid title to the land. The Court reasoned that the Humbert family had not obtained a valid title to the land, as they had not obtained a patent from the United States government. The Court also noted that the Humbert family had not taken any steps to obtain a patent, despite having been living on the land for over 40 years. The Court concluded that the Dow family had a valid title to the land, and that the Humbert family had no legal claim to the land.

In the case of Dow v. Humbert et al., Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority's decision was incorrect and should be reversed. He believed that under Michigan law, where this dispute originated, an executor had no authority to sell real estate without first obtaining court approval. Furthermore, he noted that even if such sales were allowed by state law, they would still need to comply with federal statutes regarding land titles and transfers of ownership. Therefore, since there was no evidence presented at trial showing compliance with these laws or any other applicable regulations governing property transactions in Michigan at the time of sale, Justice Field concluded that it could not be upheld as valid under federal law either. In conclusion then, he argued for reversal on grounds that the lower court’s ruling did not properly consider all relevant legal issues when making its determination on whether or not title passed from one party to another upon execution of a deed without proper authorization from a court order