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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| Unknown Infant | Unknown Infant | March 27, 1895 | at Daniel McGarland's place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: The said infant child was the Child of Caroline Laurean but from being buried such a length of time was in such a state of decomposition, it was impossible from autopsy to find out cause of death, Therefore we find that it came to its death from some cause unknown to it there |
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| James Robertson | September 13, 1885 | at Calvin Brewton's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforesaid James Robertson came to his death by disease of the heart |
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| J. W. Hunnicutt | December 8, 1896 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Charmes | October 7, 1865 | at Levison Fowlers, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the Freedman Charmes came to his death by the act of God |
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| Daniel Brown | October 8, 1881 | at the plantation of Willis Watkins, Anderson County, SC |
do say that the said Daniel Brown died. . . 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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| Samuel Mitchell | April 10, 1837 | on the plantation of Robert Glen, Union County, SC |
do say upon thear Oaths that the Sd Samul Mitchell . . .at a Spring . . . was found dead . . .and died by the visitation of God in a natural way |
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| Grover Cassidy | December 3, 1885 | at W. F. Pates, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the Said Grover Casidy came to his death on the 3d day of December A D 1885 form som nautral causes or causes unknown to the jurors |
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| Mary Gillam | January 1, 1891 | at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the said Mary Gillam came to her death from Rhumatism from the Heart |
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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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| 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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| William A. Jordan | December 12, 1891 | at William M. Jordan's, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that Said Infant came to his death from Some causes or causes to the Jury unknown |
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| Nancy Davis | April 22, 1883 | at plantaion of Seaborn Parks, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Nancy Davis the deceased came to her death from disease of the Heart. |
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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 |
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| John M. Bonds | December 16, 1850 | at Isom R. Bond's, Anderson County, SC |
do say having understood that the said John M. Bonds died very suddenly on the mornign of the 15th of this Instant while going as a boat hand on Savannah River. . . .we the jury report that we fully concur in the opinion of the said doctors as reported by them to the coroner...that is to say that John M. Bonds came to his death by a diseased action in the Larynx producing or giving rise to suffocation. |
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| twin infants | September 15, 1889 | at Rosa Foster's, Spartanburg County, SC |
do say that the twin children were stillborn & that no violence has been practiced |
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| Nancy Montjoy | October 13, 1889 | Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that she the said Nancy Montjoy came to her death from natural causes, probably disease of the heart |
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| John Brown | January 28, 1902 | [no location given], Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Rhoda | female slave | July 4, 1857 | at Dorn's[?] Mill, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say, they believe the said slave Rhoda came to her death by some invisible and unknown cause or causes; perhaps a disease of the heart |
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| W. G. Rivers | June 15, 1888 | at F. W. Rivers, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: That the said W J Rivers came to his death by som natural caus or causes to the jury unknown |
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| infant child. Male. | infant child. Male. | January 25, 1874 | at Solomon Scott's, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that said child was born on the twenty second inst and was dead |
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| Jane Wisher | September 30, 1848 | at the residence of Mrs. Jane Wisher, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say from the widow of Elisabeth Wisher that the deceased was an oald person and had for some years past been afflicted with what had been cauled palpitation of the heart and [?] and was complaining . . .came to her death by a visitation of god |
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| James Leppard | February 13, 1893 | at F. M. Leppards, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say. . .the deceased came to his death by Rheumation of the heart |
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| Edward William Davis | September 29, 1870 | at Ridgeway, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Edward William Davis. "came to his death by a Pulmonary Congestion with Hemorrhage caused from heart disease |
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| Ephram Ashford | at [?], Fairfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say that the deceased came to his death at his home from heart failure |
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| Mary Champion | November 10, 1870 | at Camden, Camden, S.C., Kershaw County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that [the] deceased came to her death by a visitation or the act of God |
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| W. L. Pegues | July 16, 1894 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said W L Pegues came to his death from natural causes. |
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| Jerry | July 11, 1811 | at the plantation of James Glen, Laurens County, SC |
do say upon their oathes, that they are of opinion that the said Negro boy died a Natural Death |
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| infant | November 27, 1870 | at William Stuart's residence, Anderson County, SC |
do say that. . .said child was dead born |
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| James Harmon | March 4, 1841 | near[?] Nichara[?] Gordon's, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that they cannot find no marks of Violence upon him and he died by the visitation of god in a natural way and not otherwise |
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| Nathan Moore | April 1, 1870 | at Cheraw, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their Oaths do say, That the diseased was and had been for some time afflicted with a Heart disease, which we believe caused his very sudden death at the Corner of market and third streets in cheraw on Friday April the first 1870 at 5 O clk PM |
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| George Hatcher | freedman | June 19, 1867 | at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek, Edgefield County, SC |
upon there oath do say that George came to his death by some disease unknown to the Jurors |
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| Gilbert Crawford | July 22, 1921 | at Pageland, Chesterfield County, SC |
Gilbert Crawford came to his death form natural causes |
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| Jane Ashmore | child | April 3, 1880 | at Greenville, Greenville County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that. . .the said Jane Ashmore came to her death from natural causes |
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| Reubin Weaver | December 28, 1895 | at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation, Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say, that Reubin Weaver aforesaid came to his death from heart failure |
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| Amilia Ruffin | August 7, 1880 | at S.W. Ruffs, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the aforsaid Amilia Ruffin came to her death July the 23d 1880; from natural causes to the jurors unknow, |
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| Jane Owens | at Ms. Helen Smith's, Fairfield County, SC |
upon their oaths do say She died from a paroxism of asthma |
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| Roster | slave | July 27, 1844 | at Fielden Clayton's, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon thear [sic] oathes [sic] that the said Roster. . .was found dead, that she had no marks of violence upon her, and died by the visitation of God |
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| Infant of Pearl Oliver | Infant of Pearl Oliver | December 26, 1894 | at D. A. Redfearn's Place, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the said Infant child came to its death from some natural cause unknown to them |
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| Charles Young | July 16, 1885 | at Anderson's Mills, Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that Charles Young came to his death from Apoplexy near Anderson's Mills |
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| Molsie Knight | February 6, 1897 | at Reid Knight's, Chesterfield County, SC |
So the Jurors aforesaid do say that the aforesaid Molsie Knight in manner and form aforesaid did come to Her death in a way that is unknown to the Jury we decide that it was an act of God. |
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| Clarisa Epps | July 20, 1868 | at Laurens C.H., Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that the afore said Claricy Epps came to her death by the visitation of God. |
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| John Seawright | October 22, 1881 | on the public road leading from Craytonville to Anderson Court House, Anderson County, SC |
do say the said came to dis death from disease of the heart. . .the deceased came to his death by some providence of God. |
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| Loverberry B. Musgrove | October 9, 1866 | at the residence of Ms. James, Widow, near the Court House, Union County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Loveberry B. Musgrove, at the residence of Mrs. James, Widow, . . .did die by visitation of Almight God |
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| Silvy Nix | January 1, 1891 | Edgefield County, SC |
upon their oaths do Say that She came to her death by natural causes |
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| William L. Collins | January 9, 1887 | at Chesterfield County, Chesterfield County, SC |
[No official declaration] |
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| Milly Roler | November 2, 1819 | Kershaw County, SC |
do say upon their oaths [that] the said Milley Roler came to her Death by the act of God as far we know |
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| Annie Jefferson | January 19, 1892 | at Bary Rosie, Chesterfield County, SC |
upon their oaths, do say: that the Said Anna Jefferson came to her death form some cause or causes to the Jury unknown |
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| Luvenia Elmore | March 15, 1883 | at J A Fergusons place, Laurens County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the cause of her death on the 14th day of March AD. 1883 on J A Fergusons place in Laurens County from Congestion. |
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| Edward Fuller | July 30, 1880 | at Spartanburg C.H., Spartanburg County, SC |
upon their oaths do say that the said Edw. O Fuller ... came to his death from conjestion of the brain or other natural cause |
