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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silvy Holmes | at Ben Glenn's place, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that Silvy Homes came to her death at her daughters Residence at the night of 28th of April AD 1887 from Providential Visitation[.] |
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| Henry B. Mathers | November 26, 1841 | at the house of Benjamin Nettles, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the believe it was by the visitation 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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| Henry Williams | October 13, 1889 | at the Plantation of C.C. Garlington, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Henry Williams came to his death by "Natural Causes." |
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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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| Priscilla Clark | March 28, 1837 | at the house of Jesse Clark, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Priscilla Clark . . . died by the visitation of 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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| Julia Banks | September 4, 1891 | at Mr Banks Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .Mrs Julia Banks . . .Supposed to have died from heart decise |
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| Lewis Denham | December 6, 1883 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said Lewis Denham ... in the field near his house died of natural causes |
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| white man | white man | October 21, 1849 | in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say the aforesaid Stranger came to his death from the act of God |
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| John Day | January 28, 1878 | at the Guard house, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said John Day came to his death from the natural cause to wit[?] congestion of the brain |
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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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| Calline Crosby | Fairfield County, SC |
up pon these oths do say that She came to her death from heart failure[.] |
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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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| William Blanton | January 14, 1884 | at the house of Langdon Blanton, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that William Blanton came to his death by heart disease |
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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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| Simon C. Wood[?] | December 26, 1857 | at Wm Calelaziers[?], Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Simon C Nood came to his death by some unknown cause or rather by the visitation of Providence |
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| Jacob Briges | September 18, 1832 | at the house of Jacob Briges, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that it was the visitation 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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| Answorth Middleton | December 3, 1816 | at James Boyds, Laurens County, SC |
Do say that he the said Answorth Middleton came to his Ende by the hand of god. |
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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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| Patrick Keenan | June 18, 1869 | at Union Court House, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said P. H. Keenan came to his death by the hand of Providence |
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| 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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| 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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| 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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| Prince Crawford | November 29, 1916 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Prince Crawford came to his death from natural causes |
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| Alice Miller | November 16, 1893 | in Alice Miller's house, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she came to her death from Heart Disease and that no violence of any kind was used by any person. |
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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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| James Boiter | May 20, 1887 | near Wakefield Bridge, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon there oaths do say ... that the aforesaid James Boiter came to his death from heart disease |
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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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| Dilsey Seigler | September 20, 1869 | at Miles Mills, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say That the said Dilsey came to her death by an act of Providence after long affliction |
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| Elijah M. Cooper | August 25, 1877 | at the residence of Elijah M. Cooper, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said E.M. Cooper came to his death. . .while engaged at work on his fieds near his residence from some cause which the jury believes to have been disease of the heart |
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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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| Sealy Henry | July 1, 1873 | Laurens County, SC |
we the under named jurors do find in accordance with the opinion of Dr. S. S. Knight. By disease most probably epilepsy caused her death. |
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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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| Pulaskey | slave, boy | March 30, 1848 | at the plantation of J. F> Hill, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that we believe the boy died of disease (Influenza) from the history of the Case |
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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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| W. T. Mathis | November 11, 1897 | at the Yeldell place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oath do Say he come to his Death by Providential occurance or heart failure |
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| Pinkie Lemmon | at J.H. Aiken's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, the said Pinkie Lemmon came to her death from Heart Disease[.] |
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| Willy Hall | February 19, 1845 | at Black River in the stage road, Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Willy Hall came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| Earnest Leland Smith Jr. | December 12, 1945 | at Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Earnest Leland Smith, Jr. received in Chesterfield County a mortal wound by causes unknown |
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| Jack Dendy | October 25, 1889 | at Jack Dendys, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Jack Dendy came to his death "From Providential Causes." |
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| Hardy McKinney | freedman | July 28, 1867 | at an old field near F. Wyne's, Anderson County, SC |
do say that said decd being diseased came to his death by the visitation of God |
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| John Crosley | January 11, 1838 | at of John W Sartor[?], Union County, SC |
do say upon there othes that the said John Crosley . . .died by the visitation of god in a natural way by getting choked or strangled and not otherwise |
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| Pleas Jackson | August 6, 1899 | at M. E. Tomlinsons, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Ples Jackson came to his death by natural causes |
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| Garett Doby | October 11, 1880 | at William Rufus, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say That he came to his death from dropsey of the hart |
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| Sidney Rhinehart | December 26, 1883 | at Spartanburg, Spartanburg, S.C., Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that ... Sidney Rhinehart died of Cerebral Apoplexy |
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| Tom | negro boy | February 5, 1853 | at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say the said negro boy . . .died in some natural way unknown |
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| Emma Duval | September 9, 1878 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she . . .came to her death from natural causes |
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| Ranse Lowry | July 21, 1888 | at Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, SC |
The finding of the Jury is that the deceased came to his death by mischance |
