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 51 - 100 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Nancy Weaver December 20, 1893 at Edgefield Court House Accident
Simon C. Wood[?] December 26, 1857 at Wm Calelaziers[?] Natural Causes
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
George Washington Crowder October 19, 1866 at Grannetville Accident
Caroline Free negro August 26, 1858 four miles from Hamburg Unknown
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Pete slave October 31, 1864 at Liberty hill Unknown
white man white man October 21, 1849 in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields Natural Causes
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Harry negro boy September 9, 1858 at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks Accident
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Reubin Weaver December 28, 1895 at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation Natural Causes
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Sam Slave June 14, 1858 at Henry Spiers[?] Accident
Ras slave December 6, 1850 at D Dennys Mill Suicide
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Joseph Riddle April 10, 1856 at Hamburg Homicide
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident

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