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
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Jane Glover January 12, 1883 at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation Unknown
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
A. R. Steel girl child August 28, 1869 at Graniteville Accident
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Lindy Jones March 15, 1882 at George Holingsworth House Accident
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
Peyton Bird colored September 29, 1869 at Edgefield CH Natural Causes
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
George Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
William Prince July 9, 1851 at the house of John W Garrett Accident
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Charley Geeter October 27, 1881 at Violets Geeter's house Accident
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
James Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Robert Johnston May 23, 1891 at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R Accident
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Lizzie Greeg July 4, 1884 at Capt Taliar[?] Hearin[?] Natural Causes
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
Thomas Rosseter[?] August 30, 1852 at Hamburg SC Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Adam Barker August 10, 1879 at the Residence of Adam Barker Decd Suicide
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
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
Isaac Grimer December 10, 1868 at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road Accident
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes

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