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
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
Caroline Coleman July 25, 1893 at Brisel[?] Blacks Residence Natural Causes
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
John Brown December 20, 1844 at the house of John Brown Natural Causes
Eddie Watson Infant April 25, 1892 at Bob Stevens Natural Causes
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
B. J. Mims January 20, 1885 at the Residence of Capt B J Mims Natural Causes
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Peter negro man June 16, 1838 at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys Homicide stick
Jim negro boy July 23, 1855 at Wade Holsteens Homicide knife
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Allen Smith Freedman January 19, 1867 at S.B. Chappells Residence Homicide pistol
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Dave Parkman December 16, 1897 at Cheatham place Homicide pistol
Johnson Peterson March 9, 1892 at Deny[?] S.C. Homicide pistol
Stephen Stalmaker August 30, 1850 at J.M.C. Freeland's Homicide plank
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
William Martin May 24, 1891 on the premises of W. E. Friday Homicide pistol
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Henry Mobley December 11, 1899 at Johnston Homicide pistol
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
Matilda H. Posey February 26, 1849 at the house of Martin Posey Homicide stick
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
Prince negro boy December 23, 1849 at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek Homicide knife
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
William negro man, boy, slave February 13, 1849 at R. F. Barretts Homicide knife
James Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide
Hammond Frasier November 6, 1897 at Trenton S.C. Homicide pistol
Lucious Perry November 8, 1891 at the plantation of Ben Boatwright Homicide
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide

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