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 101 - 150 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort ascending Death Method
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Henry Mobley December 11, 1899 at Johnston Homicide pistol
Griff Zimmerman October 9, 1899 at Johnston Township Homicide pistol
Michael Long April 17, 1849 at the house of Michael Long Homicide shotgun
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
Julia Mundy June 17, 1881 at Jas H Banknight Homicide
J. D. Ouzts December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Homicide pistol
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Benjamin F. Jones March 24, 1845 at W B Griffins Homicide shotgun
Prince negro boy December 23, 1849 at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek Homicide knife
Isaac Boseley July 5, 1880 at Ridge Spring Homicide pistol
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Baze negro slave March 31, 1863 at the D. J. Howls Homicide chop axe
William negro man, boy, slave February 13, 1849 at R. F. Barretts Homicide knife
William Thurmond February 14, 1856 at Edgefield Court House, Planters[?] Hotel Homicide chair
Hammond Frasier November 6, 1897 at Trenton S.C. Homicide pistol
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Sam Howard Freedman August 6, 1866 at L. L. Halls Homicide knife
John Agner December 26, 1883 at Mr. John Agner's Homicide knife
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Robert Parks September 27, 1894 at Parkville Homicide lick
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Henry male slave July 15, 1858 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide hickory stick
Elijah Reynolds April 11, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide pistol
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Prophet Burt freedman December 29, 1866 at E.N. Troys Homicide knife
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Andrew Trapp December 4, 1869 near Trapps Mills Homicide knife
Samuel Posey October 21, 1860 at P. B. McDaniels Homicide pistol
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
Thomas Glover August 2, 1893 at Bill Werk[?] Residence Homicide
Robert Neid free man of Colour August 26, 1847 at Vaudun[?] Factory Homicide dirk knife
Harry Anderson December 16, 1882 at Clinton Ward Homicide pistol
Eugene McCarty May 11, 1861 at Edgefield Court house Homicide pistol
Lizzy three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide axe
Eldred Glover March 2, 1852 at the house of John Doby Homicide pistol
Mary Randall October 19, 1857 at the Residence of John Randall Homicide razor
Jesse Weatherford September 4, 1849 at the plantation of Mrs R Blaylock Homicide shotgun
John E. Elsmore November 28, 1869 at the house of John E. Elsmore Homicide pistol
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Carey Ashley October 11, 1879 at J W Wises[?] plantation Homicide pistol
Randal negro man May 9, 1844 at Grancis Bettis's plantation on Horns Creek Homicide cow skin
Henry Burt June 21, 1895 at Henry Burts Homicide knife
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
William Cloud July 8, 1851 at the Spaun[?] Hotel Homicide pistol

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