Edgefield County, SC
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," 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
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Type | Death Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
R. Mackgrath | January 5, 1852 | at the house of John Dobey | Other | ||
Gertrude | infant child | December 1, 1891 | at Edgfield Court house | Accident | |
John Brown | December 20, 1844 | at the house of John Brown | Natural Causes | ||
Joe Weston | January 31, 1895 | in Edgefield County | Homicide | ||
Lucius Walker | October 5, 1869 | at James Doziers plantation | Accident | ||
Bluford Abney | November 14, 1894 | at M.A. Colemans plantation | Natural Causes | ||
Prince | negro man | October 27, 1844 | at Mrs Elizabeth Timmermans | Suicide | |
Charles | negro boy | March 7, 1857 | at Archy Clark residence | Accident | |
Joshua | negro man slave | June 26, 1860 | at Harmon Gallman | Unknown | |
James Edward Settle | boy | March 9, 1884 | on Henry Hill Plantation | Accident | |
Isaac Jones | July 1, 1881 | at Ridge Spring | Natural Causes | ||
Ryal | Negro Slave | July 28, 1851 | at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek | Accident | |
Henry Ethredge | June 2, 1899 | at the plantation of P.B. Mayson | Accident | ||
Unknown | April 11, 1860 | at or near W.J. Walkers | Unknown | ||
J. B. Whittle | November 28, 1894 | at Mrs Whittles | Natural Causes | ||
Enoch Douglass | August 11, 1879 | near Wesly Barrs on the rail road | Accident | ||
Howard Gale | June 13, 1879 | at Jacksons Holinns[?] Mill | Accident | ||
Garett Doby | October 11, 1880 | at William Rufus | 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 | |
Rachiel Mitchel | June 21, 1881 | at J. R Corleys | Accident | ||
male baby | male baby | May 24, 1891 | at the Saluda River | Homicide | |
Blassingame Wise | April 27, 1848 | at or near the Negro quarter of Mrs Wiley Glover, on Savannah River | Suicide | ||
infant child | infant child | July 24, 1892 | at Promised Land School house | Unknown | |
Alick Croker | boy | September 29, 1878 | at Mrs. Marshes premises | Accident | |
infant child | infant child | October 6, 1891 | at her Residence | Unknown | |
Daniel | slave, boy | April 28, 1859 | at L. Halls Tisery[?] | Suicide | |
Peyton Bird | colored | September 29, 1869 | at Edgefield CH | Natural Causes | |
William Prince | July 9, 1851 | at the house of John W Garrett | Accident | ||
Joseph W. Glover | September 2, 1844 | at Charles Comptys[?] Hotel | Homicide | ||
Lindy Jones | March 15, 1882 | at George Holingsworth House | Accident | ||
Clara Bell | colored child | June 23, 1868 | at Rev. H.T. Baitleys | Homicide | |
A. R. Steel | girl child | August 28, 1869 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
infant | infant | March 24, 1892 | at Pinksville | Homicide | |
infant child | infant child | August 5, 1878 | at the residence of H J Wright | Homicide | |
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
Everett Hook | July 18, 1891 | at the saw Mill of M J Hook | 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 | |
infant | infant | January 24, 1893 | at Clintonwards | Accident | |
George Mitchel | June 21, 1881 | at J. R Corleys | Accident | ||
Fed Martin | convict | September 1, 1895 | at Poor House and CH | Unknown | |
William Lundy | August 28, 1846 | at house of John Rainsford | Accident | ||
John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young | Accident | ||
Kenneth Martor[?] | January 15, 1852 | at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek | Accident | ||
Duke | negro man | March 25, 1855 | near Dennis Carpenters | Accident | |
Amanda Glover | August 30, 1892 | at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation | Natural Causes | ||
Jane Glover | January 12, 1883 | at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation | Unknown | ||
Flora Harrison | November 4, 1890 | at Liberty Hill | Homicide | ||
Charley Geeter | October 27, 1881 | at Violets Geeter's house | Accident |