The Farragut was a Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of maritime law. The case involved a dispute between the owners of the Farragut, a steamship, and the owners of the cargo it was carrying. The Farragut had been damaged in a collision with another vessel, and the owners of the cargo sought to recover damages from the owners of the Farragut. The Supreme Court held that the owners of the Farragut were liable for the damages, as they had failed to exercise due care in navigating the vessel. The Court also held that the owners of the cargo were entitled to recover damages from the owners of the Farragut, as the collision had been caused by the negligence of the Farragut's owners. The Court's decision in The Farragut established the principle that the owners of a vessel are liable for damages caused by their negligence in navigating the vessel. This principle has been applied in numerous cases since The Farragut, and is still an important part of maritime law today. The Court's decision in The Farragut also established the principle that the owners of cargo are entitled to recover damages from the owners of a vessel when the collision was caused by the negligence of the vessel's owners. This principle has also been applied in numerous cases since The Farragut, and is still an important part of maritime law today.

In The Farragut, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a vessel that had been captured by the United States Navy during the Civil War could be sold as prize of war. The majority opinion held that Congress had authorized such sales and thus it was permissible for the government to do so. However, in his dissenting opinion Justice Field argued that Congress did not have authority to authorize such sales because they violated international law which prohibited privateering or capturing vessels from neutral countries without their consent. He further argued that even if Congress did have this power, it should not be exercised due to its potential negative consequences on foreign relations between nations and would set a dangerous precedent for other countries who might then feel justified in engaging in similar activities against American ships.