Edgefield County, SC
Total population (1850): 39,262
Enslaved population (1850): 22,725
Percent slave: 58%
Extant nineteenth-century inquests: 524
Date range: 1829-1899
Percentage of violent crimes in county sample: 39% (202/524)
The small, rural district of Edgefield, South Carolina was the Deadwood of its day, amassing a reputation for murder and mayhem unique in the nation. Forget the gangs of New York, the toughs in tailored suits strutting about Edgefield's Court House Square were up for almost anything. Take this typical exchange between Thomas Cherry and Charles Cobb.
Cherry: "You Damn puppy."
Cobb: "What are you?"
Cherry: "Do you mean to call me a Damn puppy?"
Cobb: "What are you?"
Cherry: "If you call me a Puppy, I will ag you in the face."
Cobb: "You are nothing else."
With that Cherry stabbed Cobb through the face with an umbrella.
"If we over in Edgefield insult each other, there is generally a fight or a funeral afterwards," noted Ben Tillman, one of the ten men of the district to serve the state as governor. Like Tillman, circuit judge Thomas Mackey took an almost perverse pride in the region's reputation. "I am going to hold court in Edgefield," he told a friend, "and I expect a somewhat exciting term, as the fall shooting is about to start."
Like most reputations, Edgefield's was at once deserved and exaggerated. At 39 percent, Edgefield County does have the highest proportion of violent crimes in the CSI:D sample. At 35 percent, Greenville County is not that far behind. More important, Edgefield's reputation for affairs of honor masks the mountain of dishonorable violence revealed by the morgue. Men spoiling for a fight on the street are rarely much different at home. In June 1893, Bill Gasten was sitting near his wood pile when his wife emerged from the house to draw some water from the well. Something she said set him off and he grabbed up a walking stick, hit her with it, then threw her down and began choking her. Emerging from the kitchen, her sister grabbed up the stick and told Bill to "let his wife alone." She had just started back to the kitchen when Bill cracked her head with a hoe.
Edgefield County, SC Inquests
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Type | Death Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Warren Kirkland | November 16, 1858 | at Benjamin Bartons | Homicide | ||
William Perry | January 7, 1894 | in the county and state aforesaid | Accident | ||
B. J. Mims | January 20, 1885 | at the Residence of Capt B J Mims | Natural Causes | ||
Alice Adkinson | October 18, 1898 | at Republican Church | Homicide | ||
Stepney | negro man | September 29, 1848 | at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River | Suicide | |
Charles | negro boy | November 14, 1842 | On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence | Accident | |
J. E. Black | May 8, 1861 | at the Residence of J. E. Black | Other | ||
Caroline | Free negro | August 26, 1858 | four miles from Hamburg | Unknown | |
infant | infant | January 10, 1898 | at Johnston | Homicide | |
Joseph Powel | August 18, 1879 | at [??] | Accident | ||
Mahlon Jones | December 25, 1891 | at Landrams Farm | Homicide | ||
Henry | slave, boy | May 1, 1857 | at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek | Accident | |
Henry | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at New Savannah in beach Island | Accident | |
Elijah Flour[?] | youth | July 24, 1849 | at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley | Accident | |
John H. Anderson | March 21, 1891 | at Tom Anderson place | Homicide | ||
Sindy Brighthop | August 21, 1898 | on S.W. Gardners place | Homicide | ||
Al White | October 12, 1898 | at Mundy[?] Place | Homicide | ||
John Brown | December 20, 1844 | at the house of John Brown | Natural Causes | ||
Jesse Limbecker | June 18, 1869 | at Hamburg | Accident | ||
Toby | negro man | July 10, 1844 | near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek | Accident | |
James Edward Settle | boy | March 9, 1884 | on Henry Hill Plantation | Accident | |
Eddie Watson | Infant | April 25, 1892 | at Bob Stevens | Natural Causes | |
Charles | negro boy | March 7, 1857 | at Archy Clark residence | Accident | |
Sallie Holmes | December 20, 1893 | at D. P. Bodies[?] | Accident | ||
Enoch Douglass | August 11, 1879 | near Wesly Barrs on the rail road | Accident | ||
Elijah Sullivan | April 24, 1898 | at Cow-buel[?] place | Accident | ||
Julia Hightower | child | November 9, 1890 | at Mr Sam Marshes Place | Accident | |
Rachiel Mitchel | June 21, 1881 | at J. R Corleys | Accident | ||
Caroline Coleman | July 25, 1893 | at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence | Natural Causes | ||
Adam | negro man Slave, boy | August 3, 1850 | at Vaucluse Factory | Accident | |
James Thomas | colored | July 20, 1869 | at Liberty Hill County | Homicide | |
Sam | Slave | June 14, 1858 | at Henry Spiers[?] | Accident | |
Albert Watson | June 15, 1892 | at the plantation of W.B. Maffett | Natural Causes | ||
Alick Croker | boy | September 29, 1878 | at Mrs. Marshes premises | Accident | |
Presley Wise | July 11, 1891 | at D W. Padgetts plantation | Homicide | ||
Cland Elam | child | March 17, 1892 | at A. J. Norris Place | Accident | |
Isaac Jones | July 1, 1881 | at Ridge Spring | Natural Causes | ||
Daniel | slave, boy | April 28, 1859 | at L. Halls Tisery[?] | Suicide | |
Ben Shubrick | col | December 24, 1869 | at Negro heade Lane | Natural Causes | |
Richard Lundy | December 7, 1891 | at Edgefield Court House | Homicide | ||
Lindy Jones | March 15, 1882 | at George Holingsworth House | Accident | ||
Joseph Ruffington | January 9, 1893 | at Thos O Attaways | Accident | ||
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
infant, (male) | infant, (male) | April 29, 1857 | at Potterville | Homicide | |
Fed Martin | convict | September 1, 1895 | at Poor House and CH | Unknown | |
Wade Barronton | October 8, 1860 | at Wade Barrontons Residence | Natural Causes | ||
Henry Jones | September 21, 1855 | Accident | |||
infant child | infant child | August 5, 1878 | at the residence of H J Wright | Homicide | |
Rufus Harling | September 16, 1897 | at Clarks Hill | Homicide | ||
Duke | negro man | March 25, 1855 | near Dennis Carpenters | Accident |