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 descending
Pete slave October 31, 1864 at Liberty hill Unknown
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide
R. Mackgrath January 5, 1852 at the house of John Dobey Other
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Charles negro boy March 7, 1857 at Archy Clark residence Accident
Joshua negro man slave June 26, 1860 at Harmon Gallman Unknown
Albert Watson June 15, 1892 at the plantation of W.B. Maffett Natural Causes
Susan Churchwell October 6, 1884 at Allen Simkins House Unknown
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Cland Elam child March 17, 1892 at A. J. Norris Place Accident
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Adam negro man Slave, boy August 3, 1850 at Vaucluse Factory Accident
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Toby negro man July 10, 1844 near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek Accident
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Joe Elam February 16, 1882 at Nicholson premises Natural Causes
John Brown December 20, 1844 at the house of John Brown Natural Causes
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Julia Hightower child November 9, 1890 at Mr Sam Marshes Place Accident
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
William Lundy August 28, 1846 at house of John Rainsford Accident
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide

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