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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Isaac Matthias Jones | October 14, 1858 | at the house of Lewis Jones (Sr) at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | knife | |
Edward | slave, boy | October 22, 1858 | at the residence of Wm Miller | Natural Causes | |
Patrick Burns[?] | November 4, 1858 | at the residence of Richard Campbell | Natural Causes | ||
Warren Kirkland | November 16, 1858 | at Benjamin Bartons | Homicide | ||
Sarah Jowls[?] | November 16, 1858 | at Mrs Mary Ann Keys | Suicide | rope | |
Tom | negro slave | December 18, 1858 | at Chlo Watsons | Homicide | |
Harry | slave | December 25, 1858 | at Col Arthur Sinkins[?] | Homicide | knife |
Eldrige Padgett | February 9, 1859 | at Eidson Padgetts | Accident | ||
Solomon Ellenberg | February 18, 1859 | near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] | Suicide | ||
A. G. Leek | February 23, 1859 | at A. G. Leeks Residence | Other | ||
Darling Willis | March 4, 1859 | at Wade Holeston warter | Suicide | pistol | |
Levi H. McDaniel | March 9, 1859 | at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road | Homicide | ||
Victor | male slave | April 24, 1859 | at A. L. Dearing Plantation | Natural Causes | |
Daniel | slave, boy | April 28, 1859 | at L. Halls Tisery[?] | Suicide | |
Jim | slave | June 10, 1859 | at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road | Natural Causes | |
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
Dick | male slave | July 13, 1859 | at Ted Scurrys residence | Accident | |
Harriet | negro woman | July 20, 1859 | at the residence of JB Rease | Natural Causes | |
Peter | Negro man | December 30, 1859 | at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch | Accident | |
A. G. Howard | February 28, 1860 | at Grannet Ville Depot | Accident | ||
Louisa | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Simon | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Ellen | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Liz | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Peter | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Betsey | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Kizziah[?] | slave, servant | March 11, 1860 | at the residence of Mr M Lanham | Natural Causes | |
Unknown | April 11, 1860 | at or near W.J. Walkers | Unknown | ||
John Radford | April 12, 1860 | at the residence of John Radford | Accident | wagon | |
John M. Tillman | May 6, 1860 | at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill | Homicide | ||
Joshua | negro man slave | June 26, 1860 | at Harmon Gallman | Unknown | |
John G. Riddle | July 3, 1860 | at the residence of Mr Richard Burton | Natural Causes | ||
Abram | man slave | August 17, 1860 | at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin | Accident | snake |
Joe | infant negro | August 26, 1860 | at John Huiets | Accident | |
Isaah Golden | August 27, 1860 | at Silverton Beach iland | Homicide | knife | |
Lovina | negroe girl, a slave | September 4, 1860 | at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] | Suicide | |
Joe | slave, boy | September 13, 1860 | at the residence of D. M. Glover | Homicide | |
Joseph Jay | October 4, 1860 | at Joseph Jays | Accident | horse | |
Wade Barronton | October 8, 1860 | at Wade Barrontons Residence | Natural Causes | ||
Abram | slave | October 8, 1860 | at the Residence of H. B. Raborns | Natural Causes | |
Samuel Posey | October 21, 1860 | at P. B. McDaniels | Homicide | pistol | |
J. J. Jennings | November 16, 1860 | at J J Jennings | Suicide | ||
Lousay | November 25, 1860 | at Doct John E. Padgett | Accident | ||
James Reynolds | December 20, 1860 | at the residence of James Reynolds | Homicide | ||
Lewis | negro man, boy | March 14, 1861 | at Charles Hammonds Brickyard | Homicide | pistol |
George Delaughter | April 30, 1861 | at the Hamburg Passenger Depot | Accident | train | |
J. E. Black | May 8, 1861 | at the Residence of J. E. Black | Other | ||
Eugene McCarty | May 11, 1861 | at Edgefield Court house | Homicide | pistol | |
Lewis | slave | May 21, 1861 | at S. H. Roggers | Suicide | |
Rebeca Eidson | May 29, 1861 | at the Residence of William Eidson | Natural Causes |