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 101 - 150 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Ezekiel Thomas February 4, 1879 near Johnstons Accident train
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
Richard Mims August 1, 1899 at the plantation of Mrs. H. Carter Accident
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
John McManas December 4, 1883 at the Jail Accident
Mary Blocker December 6, 1894 at R H Parks Accident strychnine
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Sam negro man October 19, 1856 on the track of the South Carolina Rail Road between the Paper Mill and Marsh's Accident train
Joseph Shaw July 26, 1858 at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. Accident
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Lila Washington February 20, 1879 at Wesley Barns Mill Accident
Gertrude infant child December 1, 1891 at Edgfield Court house Accident
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Ryal Negro Slave July 28, 1851 at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek Accident
Mingo Mosley January 13, 1883 at Samuel[?] Corley's Accident
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
A. G. Howard February 28, 1860 at Grannet Ville Depot Accident
Jesse Moragna[?] March 3, 1882 at Luke Moragines[?] House Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
James Blocker May 6, 1897 Accident train
Thomas Welheu[?] June 19, 1868 at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road Accident
Everett Hook July 18, 1891 at the saw Mill of M J Hook Accident
George Delaughter April 30, 1861 at the Hamburg Passenger Depot Accident train
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
Nancy Weaver December 20, 1893 at Edgefield Court House Accident
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
Abram man slave August 17, 1860 at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin Accident snake
Harry negro boy September 9, 1858 at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks Accident
Balus Harrison November 14, 1893 at Edgefield CH Accident cart
Belaus[Velaus?] slave, boy March 30, 1863 at Robert Smiths Accident
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
Ben Culbreath July 24, 1895 at Jno A Corleys plantation Accident horse
Manerva Sanders March 22, 1890 at Webb S.C Accident tornado
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Richard negro boy Slave September 9, 1850 at Thomas Garretts Accident machinery
Isah Zimmerman December 26, 1881 at the Residence of W F Ste[?]eies Accident pistol
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia