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
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Jim slave June 10, 1859 at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road Natural Causes
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Simon C. Wood[?] December 26, 1857 at Wm Calelaziers[?] Natural Causes
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Joe infant negro August 26, 1860 at John Huiets Accident
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
white man white man October 21, 1849 in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields Natural Causes
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Susan Churchwell October 6, 1884 at Allen Simkins House Unknown
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
George Hatcher freedman June 19, 1867 at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek Natural Causes
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Joe Elam February 16, 1882 at Nicholson premises Natural Causes
Ben Shubrick col December 24, 1869 at Negro heade Lane Natural Causes
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
George Robinson January 12, 1892 at the plantation of E. B. Davis Natural Causes
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia