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 151 - 200 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort ascending
Liz slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Peter slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Dave negro man Slave March 16, 1849 at Kilcrease's Ferry Accident boat
Betsey slaves March 4, 1860 at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek Accident boat
Lizzy three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide axe
Augustus W. Burt March 25, 1847 at the Plantation of A.W. Burt Homicide axe
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
infant infant January 24, 1893 at Clintonwards Accident
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Kenneth Martor[?] January 15, 1852 at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek Accident
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
Wade Barronton October 8, 1860 at Wade Barrontons Residence Natural Causes
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Peyton Bird colored September 29, 1869 at Edgefield CH Natural Causes
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
William Prince July 9, 1851 at the house of John W Garrett Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Bob negro September 23, 1864 in the District Natural Causes
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
A. R. Steel girl child August 28, 1869 at Graniteville Accident
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
William Lundy August 28, 1846 at house of John Rainsford Accident
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
James Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide
Robert Johnston May 23, 1891 at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R Accident
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Thomas Rosseter[?] August 30, 1852 at Hamburg SC Accident
Sis Bonham child February 18, 1894 at M.B. Davenports Accident
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Isaac Grimer December 10, 1868 at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road Accident
Minnie Johnson December 22, 1892 at John Bettis plantation Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
George Watkins October 10, 1866 at George Watkins Homicide

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