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57 Tenn. 440

McCord v. Dodson

Tennessee Supreme Court

Decided April 15, 1873

Tennessee Supreme Court · decided 1873-04-15

<p>Consideration. CUviJ war. A soldier in the late civil war acting under orders of his superior officer, took a horse for the use of the Confederate army, and afterward verbally promised the owner to pay for him.</p> <p>Held: No consideration for the promise.</p>

Decided 1873-04-15

Deaderick, J.,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2This is an action of debt begun before a justice of the peace by McCord against Dodson, administrator of Cude, to recover the value of a horse taken by Cude from the plaintiff

¶3Upon. appeal to the Circuit Court of Perry county verdict and judgment were rendered in favor of the defendant, and plaintiff has appealed to this' court.

¶4The horse was taken by defendant during the late civil war for service in the army, and under the direction and order of the commanding officers of defendant, and was turned over to the use of the army, and was not shown to have been in the use or possession of defendant after he was so taken and turned over.

¶5Some time subsequently, Cude promised McCord he would return or pay for the horse.

¶6*441Upon the foregoing facts the Circuit Judge charged the jury, that if defendant was acting under compulsion of his superior officers in taking the horse, he would not be liable for his value, and that a subsequent verbal promise to return him or pay his value would not be binding upon him, and no recovery could be had upon such verbal promise, for want of sufficient consideration to support it.

¶7We think the court charged correctly upon both these propositions, and affirm the judgment.

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