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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eddie Watson | Infant | April 25, 1892 | at Bob Stevens | Natural Causes | |
Edinborough Ryan | December 30, 1882 | at Mrs D. L Bussy Plantation | Accident | ||
Edmond Price | April 30, 1892 | at Kennys Graveyard | Unknown | ||
Edmond Sharpton | December 20, 1866 | at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer | Homicide | pistol | |
Edmond Smallwood | October 19, 1892 | at E. C. Ridgells Plantation | Natural Causes | ||
Edmund Brown | December 24, 1853 | at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] | Homicide | ||
Edward | slave, boy | October 22, 1857 | at the residence of Wm Miller | Natural Causes | |
Edward | slave, boy | October 22, 1858 | at the residence of Wm Miller | Natural Causes | |
Edward Horton | August 7, 1879 | near Wesley Barrs[?] | Accident | sunstroke | |
Edward Johnston | December 26, 1892 | at William Bushes | Unknown | ||
Eldred Glover | March 2, 1852 | at the house of John Doby | Homicide | pistol | |
Eldrige Padgett | February 9, 1859 | at Eidson Padgetts | Accident | ||
Elick Youngblood | child | March 21, 1881 | at S[?] R Warren | Homicide | |
Elijah Flour[?] | youth | July 24, 1849 | at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley | Accident | |
Elijah Reynolds | April 11, 1878 | at Johnstons | Homicide | pistol | |
Elijah Sullivan | April 24, 1898 | at Cow-buel[?] place | Accident | ||
Elleck | free boy | December 13, 1866 | at Johnathan Gregorys | Accident | |
Ellen | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Ellick | negro man | April 26, 1851 | at the house of W. F Prescott | Suicide | rope |
Elmira Jackson | May 18, 1884 | at George Holingsworths House | Accident | ||
Emaline Jackson | August 27, 1894 | at Dr Childs Plantation | Natural Causes | ||
Emanuel | slave | March 12, 1856 | at Matthew McGraw's plantation | Accident | |
Emanuel Johnson | October 7, 1893 | at Wards | Accident | train | |
Enoch Douglass | August 11, 1879 | near Wesly Barrs on the rail road | Accident | ||
Ernest Bean | April 6, 1884 | at the Mill of B[?] Hill | Accident | ||
Esther Jeter | April 17, 1893 | at Huiets x Roads | Accident | ||
Eugene McCarty | May 11, 1861 | at Edgefield Court house | Homicide | pistol | |
Eunice Hogan | October 26, 1851 | at the house of John Briskey | Homicide | ||
Eva Blocker | February 11, 1893 | at J. P. Wrights Plantation | Accident | ||
Everett Hook | July 18, 1891 | at the saw Mill of M J Hook | Accident | ||
Ezekiel Thomas | February 4, 1879 | near Johnstons | Accident | train | |
Fannie Ford | March 5, 1893 | at Trenton S.C. | Accident | train | |
Fannie Patton | November 18, 1898 | at Francis Williams house | Accident | ||
Fed Martin | convict | September 1, 1895 | at Poor House and CH | Unknown | |
Flora Harrison | November 4, 1890 | at Liberty Hill | Homicide | ||
Frank Holson | freedman | January 9, 1867 | at Lee Holson | Homicide | pistol |
Frank Milton | child | January 26, 1894 | at Sanders Loricks | Natural Causes | |
Garett Doby | October 11, 1880 | at William Rufus | Natural Causes | ||
George Bowers | May 26, 1891 | at Kenards bend | Accident | mule | |
George Delaughter | April 30, 1861 | at the Hamburg Passenger Depot | Accident | train | |
George Hatcher | freedman | June 19, 1867 | at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek | Natural Causes | |
George Low | col | June 6, 1869 | at Sand Bar Ferry | Accident | stems of yellow jasmine |
George Mitchel | June 21, 1881 | at J. R Corleys | Accident | ||
George Robinson | January 12, 1892 | at the plantation of E. B. Davis | Natural Causes | ||
George Ross | June 29, 1898 | at Adoms[?] place | Homicide | ||
George W. Medlock | January 1, 1848 | at the house of Daniel Abby | Natural Causes | ||
George Washington Crowder | October 19, 1866 | at Grannetville | Accident | ||
George Watkins | October 10, 1866 | at George Watkins | Homicide | ||
Gertrude | infant child | December 1, 1891 | at Edgfield Court house | Accident | |
Green | negro boy | July 23, 1850 | at the house of John Cheatham | Homicide | knife |