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 301 - 350 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
Infred Padgett July 12, 1848 at the Joal of Edgefield Natural Causes
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
Garett Doby October 11, 1880 at William Rufus Natural Causes
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
Samuel Posey October 21, 1860 at P. B. McDaniels Homicide pistol
Harry slave December 25, 1858 at Col Arthur Sinkins[?] Homicide knife
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Joseph W. Glover September 2, 1844 at Charles Comptys[?] Hotel Homicide
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Bill King August 9, 1881 at H C Kings Residence Homicide hoe
Prophet Burt freedman December 29, 1866 at E.N. Troys Homicide knife
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Daniel slave, boy May 27, 1862 at John H. Fair Homicide shotgun
J. M. Long October 10, 1891 at J. M. Longs Homicide
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Richmond slave March 3, 1857 at V[?] Elbert Blands residence at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
Thomas Styson June 22, 1856 at R. M. Fullers Homicide hoe
Lewis negro man, boy March 14, 1861 at Charles Hammonds Brickyard Homicide pistol
Teague Tillman October 2, 1899 at the plantation of Thos. H. Ramsford Homicide pistol
Joseph Riddle April 10, 1856 at Hamburg Homicide
Jesse Weatherford September 4, 1849 at the plantation of Mrs R Blaylock Homicide shotgun
J. H. Christian July 21, 1856 in the village of Edgefield in Room No 11, in B. J. Ryans Hotel Homicide pistol
Louisa Laudon October 11, 1869 at Dorns Steam Mills near Rocky Creek Homicide knife
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Andy Padgett July 5, 1891 near Ridge Spring Homicide knife
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Moses Blalock May 19, 1882 on the Plantation of W G McDavid Homicide
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Charles Cobb March 13, 1893 at or near Johnston Homicide umbrella
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Michael Long April 17, 1849 at the house of Michael Long Homicide shotgun
Julia Mundy June 17, 1881 at Jas H Banknight Homicide
James Ramsey December 12, 1869 at the residence of Andrew Ramsay Sr Homicide pistol
Lewis Moore November 30, 1891 at the plantation of Robert Smith Homicide pocket knife
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
John Agner December 26, 1883 at Mr. John Agner's Homicide knife

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