Miles v. United States was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1881. The case involved a dispute between the United States and Miles, a former Confederate soldier, over the ownership of a piece of land in Mississippi. Miles had purchased the land from the United States in 1867, but the United States later claimed that the land had been illegally sold and sought to reclaim it. The Supreme Court held that the United States had no right to reclaim the land from Miles. The Court reasoned that the United States had not taken any action to reclaim the land until after Miles had purchased it, and that the United States had not provided any evidence that the sale was illegal. The Court also noted that the United States had not taken any steps to protect its interests in the land prior to Miles' purchase. The Court concluded that the United States had no right to reclaim the land from Miles, and that Miles was the rightful owner of the land. The Court's decision established that the United States could not reclaim land from a purchaser if it had not taken any steps to protect its interests prior to the sale.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Miles v. United States, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both precedent and common sense. He argued that Congress had no authority to pass a law which would allow for an individual's property to be taken without due process of law or just compensation, as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Furthermore, he noted that even if such a power existed within Congress' purview, it could not be applied retroactively so as to affect rights already vested under prior laws. Justice Field concluded his dissent by noting that while he did not doubt Congress' right and duty to protect public lands from encroachment or destruction, this should never come at the expense of individuals’ constitutional rights.