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 251 - 300 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
Ras slave December 6, 1850 at D Dennys Mill Suicide
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
Presley Wise July 11, 1891 at D W. Padgetts plantation Homicide
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Albert Watson June 15, 1892 at the plantation of W.B. Maffett Natural Causes
Al White October 12, 1898 at Mundy[?] Place Homicide
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
Eddie Watson Infant April 25, 1892 at Bob Stevens Natural Causes
infant infant May 5, 1893 at F. L. Foys Natural Causes
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Harriet negro woman July 20, 1859 at the residence of JB Rease Natural Causes
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Bob negro September 23, 1864 in the District Natural Causes
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Wade Barronton October 8, 1860 at Wade Barrontons Residence Natural Causes
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
Minnie Johnson December 22, 1892 at John Bettis plantation Accident
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
George Watkins October 10, 1866 at George Watkins Homicide
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other

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