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 401 - 450 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
John Williams August 21, 1898 at S H Nicholson Homicide stick
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
Jim negro boy July 23, 1855 at Wade Holsteens Homicide knife
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Harry Anderson December 16, 1882 at Clinton Ward Homicide pistol
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Eugene McCarty May 11, 1861 at Edgefield Court house Homicide pistol
Mary Randall October 19, 1857 at the Residence of John Randall Homicide razor
Allen Smith Freedman January 19, 1867 at S.B. Chappells Residence Homicide pistol
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Randal negro man May 9, 1844 at Grancis Bettis's plantation on Horns Creek Homicide cow skin
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Johnson Peterson March 9, 1892 at Deny[?] S.C. Homicide pistol
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Stephen Stalmaker August 30, 1850 at J.M.C. Freeland's Homicide plank
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
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Matilda H. Posey February 26, 1849 at the house of Martin Posey Homicide stick
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Prince negro boy December 23, 1849 at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek Homicide knife
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman 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
Andrew slave September 3, 1850 at A.P. Butlers plantation Homicide rail
Hammond Frasier November 6, 1897 at Trenton S.C. Homicide pistol
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Sam Howard Freedman August 6, 1866 at L. L. Halls Homicide knife

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