Their grantor, Chaves, had received a deed in 1845 from Pio Pico, a Mexican governor of California.

The deed recited that "the necessary steps and investigations were previously taken and made in conformity with the requirements of laws and regulations.

As a house had been built on the land by a community of priests, of the mission of St. Antonio, the committee recommended that "the expedient be remitted to the authorities of that jurisdiction to be reported on, and to the person in charge of San Antonio, in order that he may say in what condition that house was at the time the grant was made, so that it might be valued, and that community be indemnified, to avoid questions relative to the expedient, to the end that, after these proceedings are concluded, the respective approval may be given."

With these documents and this evidence, Johnson and the other claimants having presented their petition to the Board of Commissioners established by the act of March 3d, 1851, "to ascertain and settle private land claims in the State of California," and that board having confirmed it, the United States took the case by appeal into the District Court, which court having also confirmed it, the case came to the Supreme Court: the question being whether the petition for confirmation of the claim was rightly granted and affirmed.

Appellant United States challenged a decision from the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of California, which affirmed a decision from the Board of Commissioners in favor of respondents, several claimants to California land who claimed title under the Mexican government through a common grantor.