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
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
William Anderson April 14, 1864 at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles Natural Causes
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
Ben Shubrick col December 24, 1869 at Negro heade Lane Natural Causes
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Sarah Scurry September 28, 1844 at the House of Sarah Scurry Suicide
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Pompy Robinson November 1, 1898 at Norris Place Natural Causes
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Harriet negro woman July 20, 1859 at the residence of JB Rease Natural Causes
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
John Rufus Russell October 10, 1884 at John L Russell House Accident
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide

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