In the United States v. Hiawassee Lumber Company case of 1914, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S. government against Hiawassee Lumber Company for illegally cutting and removing timber from public lands. The company had argued that it was entitled to cut trees on land it believed it owned due to a clerical error by a surveyor who incorrectly marked boundaries, leading them to believe they were operating on their own property when in fact they were encroaching upon federal land. However, the court held that ignorance or mistake about boundary lines did not excuse trespassing onto public lands nor exempt one from liability for damages caused as a result of such trespassing. Therefore, regardless of whether there was an honest mistake regarding property boundaries or not, anyone who cuts down and removes timber from public lands is liable under law.

The dissenting opinion in the case of United States v. Hiawassee Lumber Company argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling, which found Hiawassee Lumber Company guilty of trespassing on government land and ordered them to pay damages, was incorrect. The dissenters believed that there was insufficient evidence presented at trial proving that the company knowingly trespassed onto federal property with intent to steal timber. They contended that it could have been an honest mistake due to unclear boundary lines between public and private lands in rural areas where logging operations were conducted. Furthermore, they disagreed with the amount of damages awarded by arguing it did not accurately reflect market value or actual harm done but rather seemed punitive in nature - designed more as a deterrent for future potential violators than compensation for loss suffered by government.