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
Ben Lowman September 14, 1894 at W.[?] L. Rawls Mills Homicide pistol
John Butler October 23, 1850 at the House of Mr Seth Butler Homicide knife
Augustus W. Burt March 25, 1847 at the Plantation of A.W. Burt Homicide axe
Al White October 12, 1898 at Mundy[?] Place Homicide
John Laudrum October 11, 1869 at Dons Steam Mills near Rocky Creek Homicide knife
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Griff Zimmerman October 9, 1899 at Johnston Township Homicide pistol
J. D. Ouzts December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Homicide pistol
Britton McClendon November 11, 1850 near the residence of Henry C. Turner Homicide large hunting knife
Prince slave January 15, 1865 at John Seiglers Homicide knife
John Williams August 21, 1898 at S H Nicholson Homicide stick
Isaac Boseley July 5, 1880 at Ridge Spring Homicide pistol
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
Baze negro slave March 31, 1863 at the D. J. Howls Homicide chop axe
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
William Thurmond February 14, 1856 at Edgefield Court House, Planters[?] Hotel Homicide chair
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Keal Johnson colourd man October 20, 1866 at J.M. Proctors Residence Homicide pistol
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
Edmond Sharpton December 20, 1866 at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer Homicide pistol
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Jim negro boy July 23, 1855 at Wade Holsteens Homicide knife
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Harry Anderson December 16, 1882 at Clinton Ward Homicide pistol
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Eugene McCarty May 11, 1861 at Edgefield Court house Homicide pistol
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Mary Randall October 19, 1857 at the Residence of John Randall Homicide razor
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Randal negro man May 9, 1844 at Grancis Bettis's plantation on Horns Creek Homicide cow skin
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide

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