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 Typesort descending Death Method
Charley Geeter October 27, 1881 at Violets Geeter's house Accident
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
Sarah Lucas October 30, 1890 at Mr. M L Holson Accident
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
Peter slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Charles S. Harrison November 25, 1878 at E.C. House Accident pistol
Solomon negro man June 24, 1844 near the Mill of George A. McKee on Stevens Creek Accident
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
Ora Weaver February 21, 1891 at the plantation of D B. H Holfarth[illegible - ink blot] Accident
Willis Cumings child October 10, 1890 at C. M. Lanhams Accident
Fannie Ford March 5, 1893 at Trenton S.C. Accident train
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Betsey slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Lucius Walker October 5, 1869 at James Doziers plantation Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident
Milledge Fuller freedman February 18, 1867 at John Ransford plantation Accident
W. W. Miller Sr. white man July 10, 1891 at J M. Mays place Accident
William Prince July 9, 1851 at the house of John W Garrett Accident
William Harlin February 19, 1856 at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road Accident
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Albert Brunson June 26, 1895 at Edgefield CH Accident train
William Humphry January 4, 1894 at Etheridge Bridge Accident pocket knife
Isaac negro man December 1, 1856 at a point on the South Carolina Rail Road [?] Brooks Mill creek Accident train
A. R. Steel girl child August 28, 1869 at Graniteville Accident
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Joe infant negro August 26, 1860 at John Huiets Accident
Louisa Wooden October 13, 1893 at Mose Woden Accident
Thomas Rosseter[?] August 30, 1852 at Hamburg SC Accident
John Rufus Russell October 10, 1884 at John L Russell House Accident
Isaac Grimer December 10, 1868 at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Robert Johnston May 23, 1891 at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R Accident
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Ezekiel Thomas February 4, 1879 near Johnstons Accident train
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
Elijah Sullivan April 24, 1898 at Cow-buel[?] place Accident
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
Allen Bauknight freedman June 11, 1866 at William Bauknights Accident
Charles slave July 31, 1851 at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield Accident
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
John Radford April 12, 1860 at the residence of John Radford Accident wagon
Wily Royal January 7, 1895 at J.S. Hancocks Accident pistol
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident

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