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
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
George Washington Crowder October 19, 1866 at Grannetville Accident
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
Lawrence Frazier child January 14, 1895 at D.B. Holingsworths Accident
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Pete slave October 31, 1864 at Liberty hill Unknown
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
infant child infant child July 24, 1892 at Promised Land School house Unknown
Henry negro man June 3, 1849 at the house of Mrs Mary Harrison Accident
Levi S. Mathews July 13, 1892 at G. C. Wheerles[?] Residence Natural Causes
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Gertrude infant child December 1, 1891 at Edgfield Court house Accident
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Richard Mims August 1, 1899 at the plantation of Mrs. H. Carter Accident
Prince negro man October 27, 1844 at Mrs Elizabeth Timmermans Suicide
J. F. Styron April 21, 1891 at residence of J. F. Styron[?] Accident
Joshua negro man slave June 26, 1860 at Harmon Gallman Unknown
Isaac Jones July 1, 1881 at Ridge Spring Natural Causes
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
Ryal Negro Slave July 28, 1851 at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek Accident
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Garett Doby October 11, 1880 at William Rufus Natural Causes
Edinborough Ryan December 30, 1882 at Mrs D. L Bussy Plantation Accident
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Charles slave July 31, 1851 at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield Accident
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Amanda Glover August 30, 1892 at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation Natural Causes
Ana May Blocker child December 2, 1894 at Ben Boatwrights farm Natural Causes
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Joseph Shaw July 26, 1858 at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. Accident
infant child infant child October 6, 1891 at her Residence Unknown
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Robert W. Kincade December 27, 1845 at the house of Baley[?] Corley Natural Causes
Joseph W. Glover September 2, 1844 at Charles Comptys[?] Hotel Homicide
Julia Van June 20, 1892 at the plantation of Mr Joe Thurmond Homicide
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown

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