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 1 - 50 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Mary female Slave January 13, 1853 at Isaac Bowles[?] Accident
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
William Lundy August 28, 1846 at house of John Rainsford Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
Anderson B. Branham January 6, 1892 at the plantation of M. C. Parker Unknown
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
Sam negro, slave September 18, 1846 at the residence of Mrs Nancy Delaughter Natural Causes
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Rhoda female slave July 4, 1857 at Dorn's[?] Mill Natural Causes
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
infant child infant child September 15, 1861 at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis Accident
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
A. P. Shultz January 9, 1850 at or near Solomon Clickleys[?] Unknown
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Lawrence Frazier child January 14, 1895 at D.B. Holingsworths Accident
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Joe infant negro August 26, 1860 at John Huiets Accident

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