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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
infant child | infant child | September 15, 1861 | at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis | Accident | |
Charles | slave, boy | September 25, 1861 | at Elijah Watson | Homicide | |
Hardy Boulware | January 2, 1862 | at Hardy Boulwares | Homicide | ||
David West | boy | January 30, 1862 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
Scipio | slave | April 1, 1862 | at E. J. Youngbloods | Homicide | hatchet |
Hurnon[?] | April 4, 1862 | at Doct H R Cooks Plantation on Savanah River | Unknown | ||
Ransom Hollaway | May 14, 1862 | at Ransom Holaways | Accident | lightning | |
Daniel | slave, boy | May 27, 1862 | at John H. Fair | Homicide | shotgun |
Aron | slave, boy | June 15, 1862 | near the White house | Suicide | vine |
Belaus[Velaus?] | slave, boy | March 30, 1863 | at Robert Smiths | Accident | |
Baze | negro slave | March 31, 1863 | at the D. J. Howls | Homicide | chop axe |
Richard | negroe Boy | April 21, 1863 | in the District of Edgefield | Accident | train |
Harry | slave | May 20, 1863 | at Jesse Gomellions | Homicide | knife |
William H Maharey | May 25, 1863 | at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company | Accident | ||
John | slave | September 27, 1863 | at the residence of Johnson A Bland | Accident | |
William Anderson | April 14, 1864 | at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles | Natural Causes | ||
Lewis Bartie | July 26, 1864 | at Mount Zion Church | Homicide | shotgun | |
John David Twiggs | September 15, 1864 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Robert J. Butler | September 15, 1864 | at Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Bob | negro | September 23, 1864 | in the District | Natural Causes | |
Pete | slave | October 31, 1864 | at Liberty hill | Unknown | |
Prince | slave | January 15, 1865 | at John Seiglers | Homicide | knife |
William C. Goff | May 7, 1865 | at Bethany Church | Accident | ||
John Henry King | October 29, 1865 | in Hamburg | Homicide | ||
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
Allen Bauknight | freedman | June 11, 1866 | at William Bauknights | Accident | |
Sam Howard | Freedman | August 6, 1866 | at L. L. Halls | Homicide | knife |
Unknown | August 30, 1866 | at Fosity[?] Creek ford | Unknown | ||
Nelson Smith | freedman, boy | October 4, 1866 | at Andrew Warts | Homicide | |
Lizza | colered woman | October 7, 1866 | at the house of Thomas S. Miller | Natural Causes | |
George Watkins | October 10, 1866 | at George Watkins | Homicide | ||
George Washington Crowder | October 19, 1866 | at Grannetville | Accident | ||
Keal Johnson | colourd man | October 20, 1866 | at J.M. Proctors Residence | Homicide | pistol |
Ansabelle Brown | October 21, 1866 | near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road | Unknown | ||
Spencer Mays | freedman | November 8, 1866 | at John Buslys | Accident | pistol |
Henry Padget | freedman | November 14, 1866 | at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek | Homicide | |
Jim Coleman | freidman | November 15, 1866 | at the Mackey Place on horse Creek | Accident | |
Elleck | free boy | December 13, 1866 | at Johnathan Gregorys | Accident | |
Edmond Sharpton | December 20, 1866 | at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer | Homicide | pistol | |
Richard J. Barton | December 28, 1866 | at Mrs Lucinda Bartons | Accident | ||
Prophet Burt | freedman | December 29, 1866 | at E.N. Troys | Homicide | knife |
Frank Holson | freedman | January 9, 1867 | at Lee Holson | Homicide | pistol |
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
Allen Smith | Freedman | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol |
Stanmore B. Chappell | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol | |
Wilson Griffin | freedman | February 13, 1867 | at Luke Rodgers | Homicide | |
Milledge Fuller | freedman | February 18, 1867 | at John Ransford plantation | Accident | |
George Hatcher | freedman | June 19, 1867 | at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek | Natural Causes | |
Thomas Welheu[?] | June 19, 1868 | at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road | Accident | ||
Clara Bell | colored child | June 23, 1868 | at Rev. H.T. Baitleys | Homicide |