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 301 - 350 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Milledge Fuller freedman February 18, 1867 at John Ransford plantation Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Jim slave June 10, 1859 at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road Natural Causes
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Charles slave July 31, 1851 at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield Accident
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Henry negro man June 3, 1849 at the house of Mrs Mary Harrison Accident
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
Reubin Weaver December 28, 1895 at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation Natural Causes
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown
George Hatcher freedman June 19, 1867 at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek Natural Causes
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide

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