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 51 - 100 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
John McManas December 4, 1883 at the Jail Accident
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
Blanchy Wilson November 30, 1893 on the plantation of Robert Hastings Accident
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
R. Mackgrath January 5, 1852 at the house of John Dobey Other
John G. Riddle July 3, 1860 at the residence of Mr Richard Burton Natural Causes
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Moses Blalock May 19, 1882 on the Plantation of W G McDavid Homicide
Warren Kirkland November 16, 1858 at Benjamin Bartons Homicide
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Polly Vines April 20, 1892 at the house of Ben. Holt Natural Causes
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Jim slave June 10, 1859 at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road Natural Causes
Julia Mundy June 17, 1881 at Jas H Banknight Homicide
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide
Charles negro boy November 14, 1842 On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence Accident
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
John Brown December 20, 1844 at the house of John Brown Natural Causes
Jesse Moragna[?] March 3, 1882 at Luke Moragines[?] House Accident
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Mingo Mosley January 13, 1883 at Samuel[?] Corley's Accident
Charles negro boy March 7, 1857 at Archy Clark residence Accident
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
George Hatcher freedman June 19, 1867 at B. W. Hatchers Mill on Shaws creek Natural Causes
Lila Washington February 20, 1879 at Wesley Barns Mill Accident
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Adam negro man Slave, boy August 3, 1850 at Vaucluse Factory Accident

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