Edgefield County, SC
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," 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
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Type | Death Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew | negro man | October 6, 1855 | on the track of the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | train |
Lindy Jones | March 15, 1882 | at George Holingsworth House | Accident | ||
James Frazier | Babie | October 24, 1890 | at D. B Hollingworth | Accident | |
George Mitchel | June 21, 1881 | at J. R Corleys | Accident | ||
infant child | infant child | December 9, 1891 | at a colored cemetary | Accident | |
Milton Barter[?] | youth | August 24, 1849 | at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills | Accident | |
Steve Yeldell | October 28, 1894 | at Edgefield | Accident | cart | |
Ellen | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Henry Jones | September 21, 1855 | Accident | |||
Blanchy Wilson | November 30, 1893 | on the plantation of Robert Hastings | Accident | ||
Henry | slave, boy | May 1, 1857 | at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek | Accident | |
Spencer Mays | freedman | November 8, 1866 | at John Buslys | Accident | pistol |
Jim Coleman | freidman | November 15, 1866 | at the Mackey Place on horse Creek | Accident | |
Charley Geeter | October 27, 1881 | at Violets Geeter's house | Accident | ||
Tom | Slave, old negro man | January 12, 1853 | near the residence of Harry Scott | Accident | |
Eva Blocker | February 11, 1893 | at J. P. Wrights Plantation | Accident | ||
Elleck | free boy | December 13, 1866 | at Johnathan Gregorys | Accident | |
Lewis Glanton | September 8, 1846 | near the church of Antioch | Accident | horse | |
Henry Ethredge | June 2, 1899 | at the plantation of P.B. Mayson | Accident | ||
Liz | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Howard Gale | June 13, 1879 | at Jacksons Holinns[?] Mill | Accident | ||
Hampton Reynolds | July 30, 1892 | at J.W. Reynolds Plantation | Accident | ||
John Whitlock | boy | September 8, 1869 | at Grainteville | Accident | |
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
Isaac Oliphant | November 9, 1882 | at Ritch Thomson | Accident | ||
Benjamin Cockroft | March 18, 1847 | in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe | Accident | ||
Mary Blocker | December 6, 1894 | at R H Parks | Accident | strychnine | |
Charles | negro man | February 27, 1850 | at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River | Accident | |
Richard | negroe Boy | April 21, 1863 | in the District of Edgefield | Accident | train |
Lucy Roper | June 29, 1899 | on the pantation of S.W. Miller | Accident | lightning | |
Peter | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Duke | negro man | March 25, 1855 | near Dennis Carpenters | Accident | |
Charles S. Harrison | November 25, 1878 | at E.C. House | Accident | pistol | |
John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young | Accident | ||
Sam | negro man | October 19, 1856 | on the track of the South Carolina Rail Road between the Paper Mill and Marsh's | Accident | train |
Lizzy Rardon | September 28, 1879 | at Clansey Holloways plantation | Accident | ||
Mike | negro man | September 13, 1844 | at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill | Accident | |
Billy | November 28, 1857 | at the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | wagon | |
Gertrude | infant child | December 1, 1891 | at Edgfield Court house | Accident | |
Ryal | Negro Slave | July 28, 1851 | at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek | Accident | |
Betsey | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Auson Peeler | July 25, 1868 | near Kalmia[?] Mills | Accident | horse | |
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] | January 5, 1892 | at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary | Accident | ||
John | slave | September 27, 1863 | at the residence of Johnson A Bland | Accident | |
Caroline | Free negro | August 26, 1858 | four miles from Hamburg | Unknown | |
Jim Brown | Child | April 19, 1882 | on Jasper Talbert Premises | Unknown | |
Infant Boy Child Colored | Infant Boy Child Colored | February 15, 1883 | at the residence of Charles Coleman | Unknown | |
infant child | infant child | October 6, 1891 | at her Residence | Unknown | |
Aggy Latily[?] | negro woman slave | June 21, 1848 | at the plantation of N L Griffin | Unknown |