Natural Causes
The "hand of God" is an active presence in CSI:D files. To be sure, the Almighty took no part in the suicides and homicides; those were the work of men "not having God Before [their] Eyes But moved by the instigation of the Devil." Deaths that could be traced to what we would call 'natural causes,' however, were typically deemed an 'act of God,'a 'visitation by God,' or the 'dispensation of Providence.'
Such cases expand on the point made in the introduction that coroners' inquests paint a very particular portrait of death in the nineteenth-century South. The stock and trade of the coroner's office were sudden deaths, especially those that intruded upon the public view. An old man succumbing to slow cancer in his own home was unsuspicious and unlikely to be investigated. This explains why heart attacks and strokes (which they called apoplexy) figure more prominently than fever among the 'hand of God' cases in these files. It also explains the relative frequency of deaths that occurred out-of-doors. Daniel Brown died in his cotton field; Jane Laniere died "in the woods near the public road"; Hartwell Roper "fell dead ... at his plow."
The words 'Hand of God' were also used in cases where the deceased had been struck by lightning. (In perhaps the strangest case, Broderick Mason and his enslaved girl, Cinthy, were killed by the same lightning bolt, a sure sign that God does not play favorites.) Despite the similarity in terminology, however, lightning deaths have been filed as accidents because, like cave ins and train crashes, they are cases of people simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and however 'natural' they might seem they are not a 'natural death.'
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Natural Causes Inquests
| Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Method | Inquest Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | old negro man slave | February 23, 1858 | in J[?] M Gadbury's[?] plantation, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say … that the said negro came to his death in a manner unknown |
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| Abner Nelson | December 31, 1849 | at the House of abner nelson, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say … the said Abner Nelson died a natural death as we believe from old age an of god |
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| Abram | slave | October 8, 1860 | at the Residence of H. B. Raborns, Edgefield County, SC | disease |
upon there oaths do say that … the said Abram a slave of H Gallman … came to his death by some internal deseased unknown |
| Albert Watson | June 15, 1892 | at the plantation of W.B. Maffett, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Albert Watson came to his death from Natural Causes |
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| Alex Black | October 27, 1884 | at Philadelphia in Spartanburg County, Spartanburg County, SC | collapsed in field |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death from disease of the brain in his field some two hundred yards from his house |
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| Alexander Black | November 14, 1863 | at the house of A. W. Black, Greenville County, SC | apoplexy |
upon their oaths do say that the said decd came to his death … by the act of God unknown to them |
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| Alexander Moore | May 22, 1889 | at Wellford, Spartanburg County, SC | apoplexy |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased Alexander Moore came to his death from the evidence given and our belief [is] that he died of apoplexy |
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| Alexander P. Kennard | February 16, 1847 | in the District, Edgefield County, SC | illness/mental illness |
do say upon their Oaths, that they do believe that he died of Cramp of the Stomach or in an Appoplectic fit |
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| Amanda Glover | August 30, 1892 | at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say That Amanda Glover came to her death from hart Failure |
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| Amanda Hogan | May 11, 1898 | at the late residence of Miss Amanda Hogan, Kershaw County, SC | heart attack |
upon their oaths do say that the said Amanda Hogan came to her death from natural and providential causes |
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| Amanda Lester | December 13, 1884 | near Pelham, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say Amanda Lester came to her death from heart disease |
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| Amos Lee | July 10, 1852 | at Amos Lee's, Union County, SC |
upon ther oaths do say … that the said Amos Lee Come to his death by the act of God |
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| Ana May Blocker | child | December 2, 1894 | at Ben Boatwrights farm, Edgefield County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say: That the child Came to its death from causes unknown |
| Anna G. Cason | June 10, 1883 | at Williamston, Anderson County, SC | disease |
do say that the death of said Anna Cason (after hearing the testimony) was caused by disease of the heart. |
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| Anthony | slave | July 2, 1853 | at Samuel J. Hannond's plantation, Anderson County, SC | chest pains |
do say the deceased came to his death by causes unknown. We find marks or bruises on the right side of the head and behind the right ear. We find no more marks or bruises on the deceased more than what might have been made by a fall. |
| B. C. Bryan | March 16, 1884 | at B C Bryan Residence, Edgefield County, SC | disease |
upon there oaths do say … that the said B C Bryan Come to his death … from disease of the Heart |
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| B. J. Mims | January 20, 1885 | at the Residence of Capt B J Mims, Edgefield County, SC | disease |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by the visitations of Providence from heart disease |
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| Beller McAlester | March 11, 1876 | at house of deceased, Anderson County, SC | epileptic seizure |
do say that she came to her death by the act of God in a applect fitt [sic] |
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| Ben Shubrick | col | December 24, 1869 | at Negro heade Lane, Edgefield County, SC | possible mental illness |
upon their oaths do say That they find that the said Ben Shubrick col came to his death by the act of Providence |
| Benjamin Bishop | November 26, 1840 | taken one mile and a half south of the [?] on the main road leading to Jones' ford on Enoree[?] river, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Benjamin Bishop … at a place in the woods near the main road … died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Benjamin Wood | May 8, 1829 | at the house of Benjamin Wood, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that he the said Benjamin Wood came to his death by visition of God |
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| Betsey Wingo | June 9, 1886 | Spartanburg County, SC | aneurysm |
upon their oaths aforesaid do say that the said Betsey Wingo came to her death by the rupture of an aneurism in the rigth subclavian artery |
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| Betsy Pilgram | July 2, 1882 | at Woodruff, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased ... came to her death by disease of the heart |
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| Bettie Willis | March 24, 1892 | at the Croker place the home of Miss Bettie Willis, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the Said Miss Bettie Willis Came to her death … by the Act of God. From Heart Failure or disease accompied with Dropsie |
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| Bluford Abney | November 14, 1894 | at M.A. Colemans plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
the said Bluford Abney came to his death by natural causes or colic |
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| Bob | negro | September 23, 1864 | in the District, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say and dclare that the said Bob came to his death by the Visitation of God |
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| Briant King | May 16, 1861 | at the resident of W. D. H. McHaughton, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that on the 16th day of May 1861 in the field at home while at work [Briant] came to his death by hone other than a visition of providence |
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| Caroline A. Kinnan | January 13, 1872 | at L. C. Neals[?], Anderson County, SC |
do say that said Caroline A. Kinnon….came to her death by the act of God |
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| Caroline Batson | freed woman | November 21, 1866 | at Reedy River Church, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by exposing herself while sick with fever |
| Caroline Coleman | July 25, 1893 | at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say … that the said Caroline Coleman aforesaid came to her death from heart failure |
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| Caswell Waldrop | April 18, 1882 | at the residence of Caswell Waldrop, Greenville County, SC | illness |
upon their oaths do say that … the said Caswell Waldrop … came to his death from the effect of an epileptic fit. |
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| Catharine Rodgers | child | September 30, 1879 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that … the deceased came to her death from congestion of the Lungs |
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| Chaney | negro woman | December 11, 1855 | at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg, Edgefield County, SC | disease |
upon their oaths do say, that Chaney, the woman now lying dead before them came to her death by the Visitation of God |
| Chanya | slave | December 31, 1849 | at A.G.W. Gordon's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by infirmity and old age |
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| Charity Bozeman | June 11, 1880 | at the house of Aby McAlister, Anderson County, SC | heart disease |
do say that Charity Bozeman ^came to her death^ by Harte Deaseas [sic] |
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| Charity Johnson | March 11, 1847 | at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased, Edgefield County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, that the said Charity Johnson … died by the visitation of God |
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| Charles | negro boy | March 7, 1857 | at Archy Clark residence, Edgefield County, SC | exposure |
upon their Oaths do say … he came to his death by lying down and going to sleep on the wet and cold ground and the Rain and water running over him |
| Charles Goswell | February 9, 1883 | at John Goswell's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the said Charles Goswell came to his death from natural causes unknown to the Jury |
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| Charles Young | July 16, 1885 | at Anderson's Mills, Spartanburg County, SC | apoplexy |
upon their oaths do say that Charles Young came to his death from Apoplexy near Anderson's Mills |
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| Charlotte | slave | August 6, 1837 | in Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say that she came to her death by affliction[?] of the heart |
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| Christopher Norral | January 5, 1815 | at the Dweling house of John Norals, Union County, SC |
say on their oaths that the Said Christopher Norral Came to his Death By the act of God |
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| Clara | slave | February 18, 1861 | at Thos Bayds[?], Union County, SC |
uppon there oaths do say … the decd came to her death by hand of the Almity |
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| Clarissa Campbell | freedwoman | March 29, 1867 | at the residence of Sarah Campbell, Anderson County, SC |
that the said Clarissa Campbell a freedwoman came to her death natural by the act of God |
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| colored | colored | June 12, 1856 | at a house on Rutledge Street in the town of Camden and occupied by one John Strickling, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that from the evidence before the jury the child came to its death naturally having had severe convulstions at several times during the two previous days |
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| Cooper | slave | March 17, 1852 | at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd, Edgefield County, SC | disease |
where & when & by what means the Said Slave, Cooper came to his death By acute Gastro Duodinitis[?] |
| Crispan Smith | December 5, 1836 | at the house of George Smith, Union County, SC | exposure |
do say upon their oaths that he died by the visitation of god in a natural way by accidentaly getting frozen to death |
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| D. Searey | November 17, 1882 | near Martinsville, Spartanburg County, SC | seizure |
upon their oaths do say that ... the said D. Seary died from Epileptic fit or other causes to which mortal man is heir |
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| Daniel Brown | October 8, 1881 | at the plantation of Willis Watkins, Anderson County, SC | disease |
do say that the said Daniel Brown doed…in the cotton field on the plantation of Willis Watkins by no act of violence or foul means but by heart disease. |
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| Daniel W. Willis | September 27, 1887 | at the residence of the deceased Daniel Willis, Spartanburg County, SC | heart disease |
upon their oaths do say that the [said] Daniel Willis came to his death of heart disease |
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| Dick | slave | March 19, 1837 | at the house of Edward Gregory, Union County, SC |
do say that the said Dick … died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
