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 351 - 400 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
A. G. Howard February 28, 1860 at Grannet Ville Depot Accident
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Dinah Woman Slave May 22, 1849 at Allen Griffith Natural Causes
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Alice Adkinson October 18, 1898 at Republican Church Homicide
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Mahlon Jones December 25, 1891 at Landrams Farm Homicide
Hartwell Roper June 17, 1869 at the residence of Rev. J.P. Mealing Natural Causes
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes

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