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 |
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Hezehiah Gulledge | January 14, 1889 | at Clifton, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
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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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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D. Searey | November 17, 1882 | near Martinsville, Spartanburg County, SC |
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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infant | infant | January 22, 1894 | at Oak Gilchrist House, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, that the said Infant Came to its death from a cause unknown |
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Jack Odom | August 26, 1911 | at B. J. Douglass Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the aforesaid Jack Odom come to his death from natural causes |
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Rose Watts | December 8, 1891 | at Mountville, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Rose Watts came to her death by misfortune or the act of God. |
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infant child | infant child | August 9, 1837 | on the plantation of Mr. Austin Wilson, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the said Child . . .died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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Robert Vandever | May 16, 1879 | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the deceased came to his death on or about the 12th of May AD 1879 in the town of Winnsboro S.C from disease of the heart |
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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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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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Samuel Kelso | December 21, 1817 | at the plantation of Sam'l Kelso, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that. . .he came to his death by an act of God being subject to something like a apoplexy for some time previous to his death |
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Isaac Jones | July 1, 1881 | at Ridge Spring, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the deceast came to his death from Nattural Causese the visitation of Providence |
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Sindy Simmons | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to her death at her Brother, Ben Davis in Fairfield County SC the 12 day of Sept 1898 from natural causes[.] |
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Emaline | slave | April 4, 1862 | at R. G. H. Faws[?], Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say . . .that the deseast came to her death by the visitation of god or some unknown cause |
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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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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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Martha McFarlan | September 20, 1890 | at Robert Mcfarlan, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon thire oaths do say that the Said Martha McFarling came to her death from natural causes to the Jury unknown |
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Mandy Richerson | February 18, 1929 | on Jule Campbell's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: Mandy Richerson came to her Death from natural causes |
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Laura Jones | February 27, 1861 | at Esther E. Jones, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Laura E. Jones came to her death By the providence of God at O. H T. Jones home in Laurens District |
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Lawrence Lenhardt | July 5, 1882 | at Greenville CH, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . . came to his death from strangulation of the hernia[?] of long duration |
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Cooper | slave | March 17, 1852 | at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd, Edgefield County, SC |
where & when & by what means the Said Slave, Cooper came to his death By acute Gastro Duodinitis[?] |
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Charles Aiken | at the Bell place, Fairfield County, SC |
upo their Oaths do say that the deceased Charles Aiken, came to his death form Rupture of a blood vesel at Narthers Church[.] |
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Alex Black | October 27, 1884 | at Philadelphia in Spartanburg County, Spartanburg County, SC |
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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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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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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infant | November 18, 1869 | at Daniel Oglesby's near Thickety Creek, Limestone[?] Township, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said child came to its death by disease |
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Martha Lanham | January 29, 1892 | at Wilts[?] Curryes place, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that Marsha Lanham Came to her death from hart failure |
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Mrs. May M. White | January 22, 1885 | at E. P. Whites, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said Mrs. Mary M. White came to her death by some natural cause or causes, on the 22nd day of January A.D. 1885 |
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Arthur R. Hill | January 1, 1883 | at Mrs F[?] Browns place, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Arthur R Hill came to his death on the 1st day of January AD 1883 by some sickness... |
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Limbrick | negro child a slave | July 22, 1856 | at Wm. R. A. Thomas's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that limbrick here lying dead came to his death by a visitation of god |
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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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Thos P. Milnor | February 5, 1849 | at Winnsboro, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Thos. P. Milnor came to his death by a visitation of Providence |
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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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John McDonald | April 15, 1839 | at Daniel McDonalds, Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that they believe the said John McDonald ... being a youth in the district aforesaid there & then died of the visitation of God |
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Victor | male slave | April 24, 1859 | at A. L. Dearing Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that the said Victor came to his death by a providential occurance |
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Brown Lee | at the McCerkin[?] grave yard, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to his death on the 6 day of Nov A D 1889 at his residence from natural causes |
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M. H. Miller | April 10, 1889 | at W. T. H. Miller's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon there oaths do say that from the evidence given Martha Miller died with heart disease |
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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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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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infant | December 24, 1882 | at the residence of Miss Mary Bridges, Spartanburg County, SC | |||
Frank Milton | child | January 26, 1894 | at Sanders Loricks, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oath do say: that said Frank Milton aforesaid came to his death from natural causes, that is to say from inflammation of the lungs |
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Wiley W. Gandy | November 18, 1912 | at Steer Pen, Chesterfield County, SC |
the Said W W Gandy came to his death we find that the deceast W W Gandy came to his death by Natural causes |
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W. W. Rodgers | January 7, 1893 | at Clinton, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oathes do say that the Aforesaid W W Rodgers came to his death on this 7th day of Jan, about 8, 10 Oclock AM, at Clinton, S.C. from Hemorhage and Blood Clot on the Brain. |
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negro child a slave | negro child a slave | January 27, 1835 | on the plantation of T Hooker, Union County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the Sd child . . .died by the visitation of god in a natural way |
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Andrew Boney | July 26, 1879 | at Ridgeway, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that from the Certificate of two Physicians who reached him in his dying moment that he come to his death from Heart disease[.] |
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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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Infant of Susie Redfern | Infant of Susie Redfern | at Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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Edmund Chambers | November 18, 1819 | at the house of Edmund Chambers, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say upon their oaths that the aforesaid Edmund Chambers. . .died by the visitation of God |
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Milledge Stuard | October 8, 1881 | at Mount [??] Yard, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oths do say the said Milledge Stuard Came to his death from some unknown Cause to us but Suppose from heart Disease |