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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Ellen Oliver | January 2, 1904 | at J. W. Crawley's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
from the examination and testimony believe that she came to her death from natural causes. |
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| Abram | slave | October 8, 1860 | at the Residence of H. B. Raborns, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that. . .the said Abram a slave of H Gallman. . .came to his death by some internal deseased unknown |
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| Mary Cook | at Henry Cook's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say the deceased came to her death at her home from heart disease[.] |
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| Infant Child | Infant Child | March 12, 1891 | at Ebb Hildreth, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Infant child came to the death from natural cause or causes |
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| 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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| Prince Crawford | November 29, 1916 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Prince Crawford came to his death from natural causes |
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| Emaline Jackson | August 27, 1894 | at Dr Childs Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that from the evidence before us by misfortune and that said misfortune was caused by the bursting of an artery And So the said jurors aforesaid, do say, that the aforesaid Emaline Jackson came to her death in manner and form |
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| Saul Bates | January 24, 1815 | at James Johnsons mill, Laurens County, SC |
do say on their oaths are of the opinion that the sd. Saul Betts on the 24th of Jany. 1815 Came to his death by the Act of God at James Johnsons mill in the district afore sd. |
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| John Bryce | March 7, 1815 | in the town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said John Bryce came to his death in the Town of Camden aforesaid, on the night of the sixth Instant of a visitation of God. |
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| Curtis Outlaw | February 21, 1895 | at Campbell's Graveyard, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Curtis Outlaw came to his death form blood clot on the brain [????] apoplexid |
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| Caroline Batson | freed woman | November 21, 1866 | at Reedy River Church, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death by exposing herself while sick with fever |
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| Joseph Moore Jr. | April 19, 1846 | at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Joseph Moore Jr came to his death by the rupture of a blood vessel of the lungs |
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| Matilda Hall | June 28, 1880 | at residence of deceased on plantation of C.S. Brice, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Matilda Hall came to her death by heart disease,-the act of Almighty God. |
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| Watson Jackson | June 5, 1880 | at Jackson Grove Church, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that at his mother's house of the plantation of Mr. A. Smith ... Watson Jackson came to his death by Malarial Fever |
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| Ann Funderburk | August 27, 1880 | at Oak Hill Grave Yard, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon oaths do say that the said Ann Funderburk died on the 14th Aug A.D. 1880 of natural causes. |
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| Lizzie Greeg | July 4, 1884 | at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?], Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths aforesaid do say that the aforesaid Lizzie Greeg Came to her death from natural Causes |
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| Daniel Johnson | May 19, 1871 | at John T. Johnsons, Horry County, SC |
upon their Oaths do Say that the said Daniel Johnson infant came to his death by the hand of God |
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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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| Abraham Ison | July 17, 1855 | at Abraham Ison's House, Union County, SC |
upon there Oaths do say . . .that the Deceased came to his death by the act of God |
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| Baby Roscoe | June 18, 1934 | at Ruby & Hartsville Cross Roads, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Still Born |
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| David Jeans | March 5, 1870 | Laurens County, SC |
We the undersigned Jurors do say that we believe the said david Jeans freedman came to his death by the Visitation of God. |
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| W. F. DeBruhl | April 20, 1859 | at the late residence of W.F. DeBruhl, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Wm. F. Debruhl came to his death by none other than a visition from God |
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| Angeline Allen | February 27, 1899 | at A.L. Sims', Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that we are convinced that the above Angeline Allen came to her death from natural causes |
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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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| unnamed infant | unnamed infant | September 8, 1855 | at the Plantation of the late William Montgomery, Horry County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say That upon a Post-morten examination, that from the decomposed state of the Child, having been dead 8 days and buried 7 days, that we can not see any sign of violence or Poesen,--but from the emty state of the Childs Stomach and Bowels, believe that the death of the Child was caused by withholding the necessary nurishment, from its Mothers breast, or otherwise |
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| Patsey Blanton | May 5, 1886 | at L. Blanton's residence, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they consider the said Patsey Blanton came to her death by the providence of God |
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| Willis Arther Jenkins | February 4, 1888 | at J. C. Jenkins, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said Willis Arther Jenkins came to his death by some natural cause or causes unknown to the jurors and that he dide on the 4 day of Feb 1888 |
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| Eddie Watson | Infant | April 25, 1892 | at Bob Stevens, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the Said Eddie Watson came to his death from Natural Causes |
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| Hillary Suber | July 9, 1883 | at Mrs N.B. Copelands plantation, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Hillary Suber came to his death on the plantation of Mrs NB Copeland from Heart Disease |
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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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| Sarah Johnson | July 8, 1893 | at Hebron Church, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Sarah Johnson came to her death from natural causes |
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| Charity Bozeman | June 11, 1880 | at the house of Aby McAlister, Anderson County, SC |
do say that Charity Bozeman came to her death by Harte Deaseas [sic] |
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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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| Hester Mobley | June 27, 1868 | at David Gladney's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . . that from the testimony the Said Hester Mobley came to her death by the desease, She was Suffering from, The disease of the Heart. |
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| Johnathon Crow | August 25, 1840 | over Johnathon Crow at his own residence, Spartanburg County, SC |
it appeared to us and we verily believe that he the sd. Johnathon Crow's time had come and that it appeared that he never had a struggle |
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| Liberty | slave | August 1, 1843 | at John Murph's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say uppon [sic] their oaths that he was found in his house lying dead on the floor and came to his death by the act of God |
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| Authur Lee Johnson | October 1, 1904 | at the place of Mary Cassidy, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Wade Barronton | October 8, 1860 | at Wade Barrontons Residence, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Wade Barronton came to his death. . .by the Visitation of God |
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| Nettie Frazier | at the plantation of Mrs. Nancy Youngue, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to its death from the effects of Whooping cough[.] |
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| Child of Mary Muree | Child of Mary Muree | October 8, 1833 | at the meeting house nown by the name of Pleasant Hill, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oaths, the affore said child then and their died of the visitation of God, and not otherwise. |
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| John Uriah Bedenbaugh | September 17, 1835 | on the plantation of Thomas Satten, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said John Uriah Bedenbaugh. . . died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Ned Redfern | January 24, 1916 | at Evans Mill, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: natural causes |
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| infant, child | infant, child | November 29, 1894 | at the plantation of J. P. Roton, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .the said Infant aforesaid. . .came to its death from natural causes |
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| George | April 21, 1858 | at Dr J G Tragham's, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by the act of God. |
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| James Hall | September 25, 1818 | in town of Camden, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon a view of the body of the deceased . . . that he came to his death by the visitation of God. |
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| Alexander T. Johnson | December 2, 1895 | at the residence of M.J. Johnson, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that Alexander T Johnson deceast came to his death from or with Bodily Deyses |
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| Milton Ponder | January 19, 1867 | at Milton Ponder's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Milton Ponder came to his death . . . by the hand of Providence |
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| George W. Medlock | January 1, 1848 | at the house of Daniel Abby, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said George W Medlock came to his death from a disease of the heart |
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| Sarilla Coleman | August 5, 1880 | at the residence of Henry Jeffares, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that in their opinion Savilla Coleman came to her death from apoplexy or congestion of the brain. |
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| Peter Moore | July 3, 1880 | at the residence of Mrs. Mary Dobson near Cedar Hill, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that he came to his death ... by an act of Almighty God |
