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
Hurnon[?] April 4, 1862 at Doct H R Cooks Plantation on Savanah River Unknown
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Bettie Willis March 24, 1892 at the Croker place the home of Miss Bettie Willis Natural Causes
Alick Croker boy September 29, 1878 at Mrs. Marshes premises Accident
Charles slave July 31, 1851 at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield Accident
Henry negro man June 3, 1849 at the house of Mrs Mary Harrison Accident
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Lucious Perry November 8, 1891 at the plantation of Ben Boatwright Homicide
Willis Cumings child October 10, 1890 at C. M. Lanhams Accident
James Edward Settle boy March 9, 1884 on Henry Hill Plantation Accident
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
infant infant May 5, 1893 at F. L. Foys Natural Causes
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Enoch Douglass August 11, 1879 near Wesly Barrs on the rail road Accident
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
Doublin male slave, boy April 5, 1857 at the Residence of Mrs Delila Philips Natural Causes
Rachiel Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Sam Slave June 14, 1858 at Henry Spiers[?] Accident
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown

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