Edgefield County, SC

County Name: 
Edgefield
State: 
South Carolina

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."

"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

Displaying 1 - 50 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Lindy Jones March 15, 1882 at George Holingsworth House Accident
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Pompy Robinson November 1, 1898 at Norris Place Natural Causes
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
George Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Jane Glover January 12, 1883 at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation Unknown
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
Charley Geeter October 27, 1881 at Violets Geeter's house Accident
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Lizzie Greeg July 4, 1884 at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?] Natural Causes
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Adam Barker August 10, 1879 at the Residence of Adam Barker Decd Suicide
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide

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