Accident
Accidents were the leading cause of death in the CSI:D sample, and drowning was the leading cause of death among mortal accidents. There are myriad reasons why. Broad swaths of the American public did not know how to swim. Primary modes of transportation, especially early in the century, involved river routes. Mill ponds were prevalent. Children played outside—generally a good thing but occasionally a sad one. Perhaps the saddest of these incidents involved a mass May Day drowning at Boykin Mill Pond in 1860. Twenty-eight teenagers set off on a raft that hit a snag and more than twenty-five drowned, including all five children from one family. Sadder still may be the case of Noah Wesley Dawkins. In mid-June 1888, Dawkins and his friends, all African Americans, set off for a local watering hole where they ran into three white boys, one of whom offered Dawkins fifty cents if he would walk into a particular area in the creek, assuring him it wasn’t deep. It was deep, and Dawkins drowned. It is tempting to classify this as a homicide, but it is clear from testimony that the white children thought they were playing a cruel trick, not a deadly one.
Alcohol was such a critical indirect cause in so many of the accidental drownings, shootings, fires, and falls in CSI:D that it really ought to be regarded the deadliest force in nineteenth century South Carolina. In addition to these indirect roles, alcohol was the direct cause of accidental death in more than sixty cases. It was probably also a direct cause in many of the ‘exposure’ cases—bodies that were discovered outside and were thought to have died from exposure to the elements.
Nineteenth century law enforcement had no recourse to blood-alcohol tests. Even today, determining precise BACs postmortem, and working back from those to levels of inebriation at time of death, is fraught with difficulty. This meant that nineteenth-century coroners had to rely exclusively on witness testimony and the known habits of the deceased to determine alcohol’s role in producing death. Standing around a dead man, jurors found themselves passing judgment on just how drunk he had been the night before. According to witnesses, John Goodlett “seemed to be drunk.” John Agner was “sorry he was drunk.” Abe Waganan was “very funny & lively”—very drunk as [was] his custom.” Is ‘very drunk’ drop-dead drunk? It is hard to know. On the night of January 15, 1816, Angus McQueen drank more than half a gallon of spirits. “The dec’d was very much intoxicated,” noted one witness, “and fell down four times during which time he vomited upon the carpet.” Because McQueen kept getting up and falling down, the jurors determined that the falls (and the winter cold) contributed to his demise, though it is equally possible that McQueen died of alcohol poisoning. Juries were more likely to fix upon ‘intemperance’ as a clear cause of death if the deceased was a notorious addict. In December 1842, H. P. Church was discovered by his land-lady sprawled half on and half off of his bed. A “habitual drunkard” who had been continuously drinking for two weeks, she did not even bother to try and shake him awake. The inquest did not hesitate in finding that Church had died of intoxication.
The third leading cause of accidental deaths were ‘vehicular’ accidents, a catch-all category that includes drunken falls from a train and sober buckings from a horse. Further complicating this picture is the fact that many of the drownings probably belong in this category. There is little difference between falling unwitnessed off of a train and off of a boat, except that in one case you land on tracks and are quickly found where in the other you wash downstream, far from the site of the accident.
Bartholomew Darby was thrown from the saddle and hit his head on a stump, his wagon then “running over his head ... & breaking his neck & deeply cutting him under the right ear.” Steve Yeldell fell out of his cart and broke his neck.
All such accidents pale in comparison to the staggering mortality brought to South Carolina by train. Richard Springs was “run over by a train.” Fannie Ford was “run over by a train.”A slave named Sam was “Run over by [a] train.” Almost as soon as trains arrived in these counties, there were sots to fall off of them, laborers to be crushed by them, and depressives to jump in front of them. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a technological innovation responsible for a sharper uptick in the per capita death rate. It is also clear that coroners and inquest juries were unprepared for the level of bodily violence meted out by train. The body of a slave named Berry was “very much mashed and limbs and bones severed.” William Abbott’s body was “mangled, bruised, cut and crushed.” Even so coroners and their juries were often at pains to absolve the railroad itself of any wrong-doing. Hosea Jackson “came to his death by his own carelessness and from no carelessness whatever on the part of the engineer.” The crushing of William Roberts was likewise “not caused by any dereliction of duty on the part of the rail-road employees.” With train accidents we see for the first time the question of corporate responsibility, and potential corporate liability, creeping into the inquest process.
The larger point, however, is a physical one. Moving the body at a faster speed than the body was designed to go is an enormous convenience that has to be paid for. Today vehicular accidents (car, motorcycle, and all-terrain-vehicle) are the fourth-leading cause of death among Americans after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. The nineteenth century was not particularly different, except that families moved by horse, wagon, and train—and died less often of cancer.
The fourth leading cause of accidental death in the CSI:D sample involved the discharge of firearms. Some were simple cases of men who were cleaning or handling weapons that suddenly went off. The vast majority of cases, however, involve an unfortunate bystander. In 1849, Tilman Attaway was mistaken for a turkey by his hunting buddy. In 1808, James Spradley was leaning in to watch two dogs fight over a dead deer. Fourteen-year old George Nettles sought to break up the dogs by bashing one of them with the butt of his gun. Instead the gun discharged into Spradley’s face. As this case attests, guns and children made as disastrous a pairing then as they do now. In 1820 ten-year old Mancel King accidentally shot and killed his brother. In 1899 ten-year old John McManus shot and killed his friend. “I was fooling with the pistol and it went off,” he told the inquest.
Undoubtedly some of these gun-related ‘accidents’ were not accidents at all. A dead man alone in a room might have been cleaning his gun, or he might have harbored hidden miseries. Similarly some of the accidental misfires on bystanders were probably intentional homicides. Unless new evidence emerges at this late date, however, such cases will have to remain categorized as accidents.
The fifth leading cause of death by accident in the CSI:D sample was death by suffocation—another category that speaks more to what a coroner was called to investigate than to what people actually died from. A majority of the ‘smothering’ deaths were probably SIDS victims. In white households such cases would not have been investigated—infant mortality was relatively high in the period and a white family’s ‘dear pledges’ were often ‘recalled to God.’ But in a society where every enslaved child was as potentially valuable as a Lexus, infant death in the quarter was more rigorously investigated. Coupled with deep prejudices against enslaved mothers, inquests typically found that an unnamed “negro Child” was “negligently Smothered” by its mother, or that the enslaved child Lora was “accidentally smothered” in the family bed, or that the enslaved children Henry and Alcy were crushed in the night, having being “overlaid” by their parents. It is possible that such ‘negligence’ did occur among overworked and overtired slaves, and such findings were far preferable to those cases where enslaved parents were charged with infanticide.
The sixth leading cause of death by accident in the CSI:D sample was death by fire. Most homes in the period were made of wood. Most had fireplaces. None had a fire extinguisher. Fire was light and life, but it was also occasionally death. In 1866 a freedman named Sloan was burnt to death in a gin house. In 1890 a child named Julia Hightower wandered too close to the family fireplace. Her younger sister tried to dowse her with water to no avail.
These six types of accidental death—drowning, alcohol abuse, transportation mishaps, gun miscues, suffocations, and fires—account for 75% of the accidental deaths in the CSI:D sample. Other relatively common accidents involved falling trees and limbs, industrial accidents, and poisonings and overdoses. Rounding out the sample were accidents that were more unique. Home alone, Medora Williams had an epileptic seizure and fell into her own fireplace. Traveling with the Bailey & Company circus, George West was gored by his own elephant. (Some might not consider this an ‘accident’ since the elephant had ‘cause’; and acted with ‘intent.’)
NEXT: Natural Causes
Accident Inquests
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Method | Inquest Finding |
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John Weston | December 31, 1890 | on the plantaion of Robt Bailey, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said John Weston came to his death "From the Effects of a gun shot wound accidentally discharged in his own hands, on the 29th day of Decr inst." |
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John Whitlock | boy | September 8, 1869 | at Grainteville, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by an act of Providence being subject to fits |
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John Wilkins | December 7, 1900 | at the Residence of C.F. Morrison, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon theair oaths do say that John Wilkins deceast came to his death By a pistol shot fired from his own hand acdential |
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John Williams | freed person infant | June 23, 1867 | at John Meadows, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that . . .it came to its death by being smuthered by him in her sleep |
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John Winchester | October 15, 1890 | at Clinton, Laurens County, SC | train |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid John Winchester came to his death by being thrown from a train at or near the switch gate at Clinton |
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John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that John Young came to his death from sum Strok |
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John Young | October 1, 1857 | in Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
We the jury after hearing the evidence offered to us on the above inquest find that the deceased came to his death by an injury or hurt received in the suffer with James Guy, either by a from said Guy or by falling upon Guys knee when said was fallen down |
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Jonah Roland | May 1, 1890 | at Four Mile Branch, Chesterfield County, SC | train |
upon there oaths do Say that the said Jonah Roland came to his death by being struck by train on Cheraw & Salisbury R. R. to the best of our belief. |
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Jonathan McCulloch | January 7, 1840 | at the house of Thomas Jefferson[?], Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe the Said Jonathan McCulloch came to his death by being accidentally drund in a fit of Derangement |
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Jonathan Newman | October 9, 1869 | at the late residence of Jonathan C. Newman, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say said deceased came to his death by the accidental or providential caving of a well at his own residence |
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Joseph | Negroe man | April 29, 1828 | at the old Quaker meeting hous, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths . . .that the said negro making an effort to Cross Fairforest at Mrs Rices ford was drown |
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Joseph A. McJunkin | March 15, 1858 | at Wm Hawkins House, Union County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that they believe the Decd came to his death from what testimony they can get from a [?] Fits[?] & in that condition had fallen in to the river where he Decsd was Fishing & drowned |
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Joseph B. Hughes | August 6, 1869 | at the late residence of Joseph B. Hughes in Flat Rock Township, Flat Rock, S.C., Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Joseph B. Hughes came to his death ... from a wound in the back of the right shoulder ... by a falling tree |
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Joseph D. Reasonover | January 21, 1871 | at a place four miles south of Camden, Kershaw County, SC | horse |
upon their oaths do say that the said Joseph D. Reasonover came to his death from a kick received from a horse on his breast or stomach |
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Joseph Homer Lavinge | July 5, 1940 | at Jefferson, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Joseph Homer Lavinge received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by Automobile Wreck in the hands of Billie Nicholson |
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Joseph Jay | October 4, 1860 | at Joseph Jays, Edgefield County, SC | horse |
upon there oaths do say the deceased was seized with a fainting fitt and in that condition fell from the horse |
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Joseph Mulligan | February 27, 1835 | below Doct[?] Dogans[?] near the branch near this Village, Union County, SC | freezing |
do say upon their oaths that the said Joseph Mulligan . . .died by the visitation of God by freezing |
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Joseph Powel | August 18, 1879 | at [??], Edgefield County, SC |
do say that the said Jos Powel came to his death by accidental drouding on Sunday evening crossing Logg creek |
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Joseph Ruffington | January 9, 1893 | at Thos O Attaways, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Joseph Ruffington came to his death accidentally by the falling of a tree cut by Pick Deloach |
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Joseph Shaw | July 26, 1858 | at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H., Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Joseph Shaw bathing in the Mill pond of Col H. H. Pickens. . .came to his death by accidental drowing |
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Josephine A. Brookes Thrift | infant child | March 28, 1860 | at Delila Jenkinses, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that the child came to its death by being smothered by its mother by accident |
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Joshua Johns | May 17, 1937 | at Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Joshua Johns received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by Fred W. Hinson with automobile in the hands of anautomobile accident |
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Juanita White | May 10, 1936 | at Chesterfield, SC, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Juanita White received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by automobile in the hands of G. W. Hutford |
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Judith Berry | December 17, 1811 | near Swift Creek ... [at] home of James Berry, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Berry to came to her death by a violent burn which she received from her clothes taking fire at the fireplace in the house of James Berry . . . of which she instantly died. |
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Julia Hightower | child | November 9, 1890 | at Mr Sam Marshes Place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that She came to her death from being burn by accident |
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Julia Whalan | July 19, 1882 | at RH Young Plantation, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Julia Whalan came to her death by accidental drowning in a pool of water |
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Julius Brockman | negroe boy | August 11, 1881 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC | train |
upon their oaths do say that Julius Brockman came to his death by an [?] accident causedly being Struck by engine No 22 train no 49 on the [??] Rail Road |
July | infant slave | September 8, 1856 | at the House of Mrs Elender[?] Martin, Union County, SC |
upon there oaths do say . . .the Decsd came to its Death by misfortune or accident occasioned by the overLaying of its mother |
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Justin Turner | April 9, 1868 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jusin Turner. . .came to his death by mischance being exposed during a cold night without doors and from evidence quite intoxicated |
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Kate | slave | December 5, 1847 | at the house of Mrs. Jane Love, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they believe from the testimony of Jas. Love son that she came to her death by the falling of a tree accidentally upon her body |
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Kenneth Martor[?] | January 15, 1852 | at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek, Edgefield County, SC |
Upon their oaths do say the decd came to his death . . .by becoming accidentaly entangled in, and with the running gear of Mr Thos G. Lamar's circular saw mill |
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Kinley Green | February 2, 1878 | at Gaffney City, Spartanburg County, SC | train |
upon their oaths do say that the said Kinley Green came to his death ... from having been run over on the evening previous by a Freight train on the A&C Air ine Railrway near the 2/3 mile post |
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Kitty Young | near Rock City, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the said Kity Young came to her death from a pistol shot wound, the pistol being fired by her little brother Johnnie Young, and that the shooting was purely accidental. |
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Koon | female child | April 23, 1836 | at the house of Davin M[?] [?], Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said child . . .died by the visitation of God by accidentally Getting Droud in the Spring |
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L. J. Atkinson | October 16, 1944 | at McBee, S.C., Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Lona Atkinson, L. J. Atkinson & Carolyn Atkinson received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by Car driven by Miss Thelma Moore in the hands of Thelma Moore |
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L. W. Warren | July 26, 1894 | in Clinton, Laurens County, SC | train |
we the jury find that he died from the effects of a fall from the Lever, it being fastened by the flagg [sic] staff in the hands of himself, and a man on the RR car, running at great speed, causing a jack to fall from Lever and jump it up throwing Mr Warren and hands from car. We also find that he alone was the sole cause of the accident and the RR in no way to blame. |
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Lafayette Valentine | January 1, 1873 | at Jack Valentines, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Lafayette Valentine came to his death by the accidental firing of a Pistol in the hands of J.B. Watts. |
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Landrum Hopper | August 17, 1882 | at Truman S. Webber's, Spartanburg County, SC | lightning |
upon their oaths do say that the said Landrum Hopper came to his death from the effects of a stroke lightning in the field of Truman S. Weber where he had been ploughing |
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Larie | February 3, 1829 | at the premises of Capt Nathan Sims, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Mr. Lary came to his death, in our opinion for want of attention in consequence of his own conduct exposing himself in bad weather from intoxication |
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Larrence Valentine | December 28, 1893 | at Mt[?] Willing, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .find that said Larrence Valentine aforesaid came to his death by a gun shot wound in his own hands, from the evidence we believe it was purely accidental |
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Lawrence Frazier | child | January 14, 1895 | at D.B. Holingsworths, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Lawrence Frazier came to his by accident or misfortune |
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Lawrence Wright | January 10, 1938 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC | train |
upon their oaths do say that Lawrence Wright received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by apparently by train (Seaboard) in the hands of apparently by train (Seaboard) |
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Lawson L. Rhodes | July 15, 1938 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Lawson L. Rhodes received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by automobile-motorcycle accident in the hands of C. C. Anderson |
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Leander Pack | August 14, 1883 | at the residence of Elias Atkins, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Leander Pack came to his death ... by a blow of a fallen tree of which the decased were cutting |
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Lee Blakney | February 25, 1944 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC | plank |
upon their oaths do say that Lee Blakney received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by Planer Hill in the hands of Self. . . Lee Blakney came to his death, by accident, while operating a planer. |
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Lee Campbell | December 24, 1932 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Lee Cambell came to his death from a gun shot woud who was shot by Tracy Blackwell. The shooting was acdently done. |
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Lena Hutchinson | October 20, 1873 | Anderson County, SC |
do say according to their knowledge and belief according to the evidence that she came to her death by accident by being burned to death |
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Lennie Pope | January 24, 1940 | at Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths do say that Heck Curry, Tom Oliver, Lennie Pope received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by automobile collision in the hands of Heck Curry |
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Leola Sellers | June 20, 1932 | at W. A. Sellers in Cole hill, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths, do say: that Cola Sellars came to his death struck by a car Diven by Marion Johnson |
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Leonard E. Hurst | August 22, 1929 | at Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC | automobile |
upon their oaths, do say: that he came to his death by reckless driving by himself |