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
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Mahlon Jones December 25, 1891 at Landrams Farm Homicide
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Joseph Riddle April 10, 1856 at Hamburg Homicide
Enoch Douglass August 11, 1879 near Wesly Barrs on the rail road Accident
Elijah Sullivan April 24, 1898 at Cow-buel[?] place Accident
Rachiel Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
Caroline Coleman July 25, 1893 at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence Natural Causes
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Ras slave December 6, 1850 at D Dennys Mill Suicide
Alick Croker boy September 29, 1878 at Mrs. Marshes premises Accident
Presley Wise July 11, 1891 at D W. Padgetts plantation Homicide
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
Al White October 12, 1898 at Mundy[?] Place Homicide
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
James Edward Settle boy March 9, 1884 on Henry Hill Plantation Accident
Albert Watson June 15, 1892 at the plantation of W.B. Maffett Natural Causes
Eddie Watson Infant April 25, 1892 at Bob Stevens Natural Causes
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
George Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
Jane Glover January 12, 1883 at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation Unknown
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Ben Shubrick col December 24, 1869 at Negro heade Lane Natural Causes

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