This US Supreme Court case involved a dispute between two parties over the ownership of a piece of land in the state of Missouri. The plaintiffs, Gregory and others, claimed that they had purchased the land from the defendants, Hartley and another, in 1867. The defendants argued that the sale was invalid because they had not received full payment for the land. The Supreme Court held that the sale was valid and that the plaintiffs had acquired title to the land. The Court noted that the defendants had accepted partial payment for the land and had not objected to the sale until after the plaintiffs had taken possession of the land. The Court also noted that the defendants had not taken any action to recover the balance of the purchase price. The Court concluded that the defendants had accepted the partial payment and had waived their right to receive the balance of the purchase price. Therefore, the Court held that the plaintiffs had acquired title to the land and that the defendants had no further claim to it.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Gregory & Others v. Hartley & Another, arguing that the majority had failed to consider certain relevant facts and evidence when making their decision. He argued that there was sufficient evidence presented to support a finding of fraud on behalf of Hartley and his partner, which would have voided their contract with Gregory et al., but this evidence was not considered by the court. Furthermore, he noted that even if no fraud had been committed, it could still be argued that Hartley's actions constituted an abuse of trust or confidence placed in him by Gregory et al., which should also void the contract between them. In conclusion, Justice Field asserted that while he did not disagree with all aspects of the majority opinion, he felt they had overlooked important details when reaching their decision and thus urged for a reversal or remandment so as to allow further consideration of these matters before any final judgement is made.