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 1 - 50 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
William Lundy August 28, 1846 at house of John Rainsford Accident
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
infant child infant child September 15, 1861 at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis Accident
A. P. Shultz January 9, 1850 at or near Solomon Clickleys[?] Unknown
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Jack Taylor April 11, 1892 at the house of Hal[?] Miles Natural Causes
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide

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