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 401 - 450 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
John McManas December 4, 1883 at the Jail Accident
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Mahlon Jones December 25, 1891 at Landrams Farm Homicide
Belaus[Velaus?] slave, boy March 30, 1863 at Robert Smiths Accident
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
John G. Riddle July 3, 1860 at the residence of Mr Richard Burton Natural Causes
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Jesse Moragna[?] March 3, 1882 at Luke Moragines[?] House Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Al White October 12, 1898 at Mundy[?] Place Homicide
Mingo Mosley January 13, 1883 at Samuel[?] Corley's Accident
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
Eddie Watson Infant April 25, 1892 at Bob Stevens Natural Causes
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Lila Washington February 20, 1879 at Wesley Barns Mill Accident
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Elijah Sullivan April 24, 1898 at Cow-buel[?] place Accident
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Caroline Coleman July 25, 1893 at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence Natural Causes
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
Presley Wise July 11, 1891 at D W. Padgetts plantation Homicide
Joshua negro man slave June 26, 1860 at Harmon Gallman Unknown
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
Learma Butler November 7, 1890 at W.H. Folks plantation Natural Causes
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
George Robinson January 12, 1892 at the plantation of E. B. Davis Natural Causes
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Ben Shubrick col December 24, 1869 at Negro heade Lane Natural Causes

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