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 Typesort ascending Death Method
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
William Humphry January 4, 1894 at Etheridge Bridge Accident pocket knife
Balus Harrison November 14, 1893 at Edgefield CH Accident cart
Spencer Mays freedman November 8, 1866 at John Buslys Accident pistol
Isaac negro man December 1, 1856 at a point on the South Carolina Rail Road [?] Brooks Mill creek Accident train
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Thomas Welheu[?] June 19, 1868 at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road Accident
George Delaughter April 30, 1861 at the Hamburg Passenger Depot Accident train
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
W. W. Miller Sr. white man July 10, 1891 at J M. Mays place Accident
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
William Harlin February 19, 1856 at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road Accident
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Allen Bauknight freedman June 11, 1866 at William Bauknights Accident
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
Ben Culbreath July 24, 1895 at Jno A Corleys plantation Accident horse
Louisa Wooden October 13, 1893 at Mose Woden Accident
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Peter Negro man December 30, 1859 at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch Accident
Richard negro boy Slave September 9, 1850 at Thomas Garretts Accident machinery
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Wily Royal January 7, 1895 at J.S. Hancocks Accident pistol
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
Isah Zimmerman December 26, 1881 at the Residence of W F Ste[?]eies Accident pistol
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Cap Bryan February 25, 1893 at the plantation of Mrs Doziers Accident
John Seigler February 13, 1856 at J.H. Christians Accident buggy
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
Lucius Walker October 5, 1869 at James Doziers plantation Accident
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
Billy November 28, 1857 at the South Carolina Rail Road Accident wagon
Henry Peterson June 13, 1893 at Ridge Spring Accident train
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Albert Brunson June 26, 1895 at Edgefield CH Accident train

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