by John Marshall Harlan

“ Avowing his purpose not to hold the personal representatives of his father's estate responsible for having accepted Confederate money and Virginia bank notes in discharge of Castleman's bonds, and for having directed the release of the trust deed given to secure those bonds, can he be heard to say that these settlements, some of the fruits of which he and his codistributees enjoyed, and of which he had full knowledge for at least 15 years prior to the commencement of this action, ought not to have been made, and should be now disregarded? ”

“ Meade had reached her majority when Castleman made his last payment, and both were of full age when, after the war, the Virginia bank notes received from Castleman were divided among the distributees. We cannot suppose, from the evidence, that they were ignorant of the settlements made by the personal representatives with Castleman. So far as the record discloses, no fraud was practiced upon them; nothing was concealed from them. When the Confederacy fell, Confederate notes and Virginia bank notes, based upon Confederate bonds, became, of course, of no value. ”

“ Castleman demurred to the bill as insufficient in law, and also filed an answer denying all the material allegations of the bill. Answers were also filed by Mrs. Meade and John N. Opie, in which they pray that the release of the deed of trust be set aside. But they do not file cross bills, or make any direct issue, in that mode, with Castleman. ”