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 501 - 524 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
Moses Blalock May 19, 1882 on the Plantation of W G McDavid Homicide
Mingo Mosley January 13, 1883 at Samuel[?] Corley's Accident
Louisa Wooden October 13, 1893 at Mose Woden Accident
Lucius Walker October 5, 1869 at James Doziers plantation Accident
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Lila Washington February 20, 1879 at Wesley Barns Mill Accident
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Tandy Holmes September 21, 1894 at or on Dr. W.C. Prescotts Plantation Homicide
Unknown April 11, 1860 at or near W.J. Walkers Unknown
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Howard Gale June 13, 1879 at Jacksons Holinns[?] Mill Accident
Allen Bauknight freedman June 11, 1866 at William Bauknights Accident
Albert Watson June 15, 1892 at the plantation of W.B. Maffett Natural Causes
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Jesse Moragna[?] March 3, 1882 at Luke Moragines[?] House Accident
Blassingame Wise April 27, 1848 at or near the Negro quarter of Mrs Wiley Glover, on Savannah River Suicide
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes

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