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 201 - 250 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Tom negro boy February 5, 1853 at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased Natural Causes
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Jno. C Swearingin April 24, 1895 at Edgefield CH Homicide
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
infant infant January 22, 1894 at Oak Gilchrist House Natural Causes
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Emaline Jackson August 27, 1894 at Dr Childs Plantation Natural Causes
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
infant Boy infant Boy October 29, 1894 at [?] Coleman Natural Causes
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
Mid[?] Griffin February 2, 1895 at the Govelace[?] Place Natural Causes
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
James Mitchell February 18, 1879 at L D Laudrums Natural Causes
Infred Padgett July 12, 1848 at the Joal of Edgefield Natural Causes
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide
Milledge Fuller freedman February 18, 1867 at John Ransford plantation Accident
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide

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