The Palmyra was a ship that sailed from New York to the Mediterranean Sea in 1825. The claimant, Depau, had purchased cargo insurance for the voyage and sought compensation when it became apparent that some of his goods were lost or damaged during transit. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Depau, finding that he was entitled to recover damages due to the negligence of those responsible for loading and unloading his cargo onto the vessel. Furthermore, they held that even though there may have been an agreement between him and the carrier regarding liability limits on certain items, this did not absolve them from their responsibility as carriers under maritime law. In conclusion, they found Depau’s claim valid and awarded him with damages accordingly.

In The Palmyra, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a ship called the Palmyra had been legally captured by an American privateer during the War of 1812. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Johnson argued that there was no evidence that the vessel in question had ever been used for hostile purposes against America or its allies. He further noted that even if it were assumed that she had done so, her capture would still be illegal because she did not bear any distinguishing marks which would have identified her as an enemy vessel and thus made her liable to seizure under international law. Furthermore, he pointed out that since this case involved a neutral party (the claimant) who could not be held responsible for any alleged acts of hostility committed by another nation's vessels, his rights should be respected and damages awarded accordingly.