In the case of Virginia v. West Virginia in 1911, the Supreme Court was tasked with resolving a boundary dispute between the two states. The disagreement stemmed from when West Virginia seceded from Virginia during the Civil War and became its own state. At issue were several counties that both states claimed as their own due to ambiguities in historical documents regarding boundaries. The court ruled in favor of West Virginia, determining that it had jurisdiction over these disputed areas based on evidence presented about historical county lines and population distributions at the time of secession. This decision helped establish clearer guidelines for interstate disputes related to territorial claims.

In the dissenting opinion for Virginia v. West Virginia, 1911, it was argued that the majority's decision to award damages to West Virginia was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there were significant issues with how these damages were calculated and awarded. They contended that the court had overstepped its bounds by making a determination on an issue of state taxation - a matter which they felt should be left up to individual states rather than decided at a federal level. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority's interpretation of certain historical events and documents related to this case, arguing instead for different interpretations which would have led them not only towards denying any monetary compensation but also towards recognizing more fully Virginia’s claims in this dispute between two states.