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 101 - 150 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Sis Bonham child February 18, 1894 at M.B. Davenports Accident
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
Minnie Johnson December 22, 1892 at John Bettis plantation Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1858 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
R. Mackgrath January 5, 1852 at the house of John Dobey Other
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Warren Kirkland November 16, 1858 at Benjamin Bartons Homicide
Polly Vines April 20, 1892 at the house of Ben. Holt Natural Causes
B. J. Mims January 20, 1885 at the Residence of Capt B J Mims Natural Causes
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Harry negro boy September 9, 1858 at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks Accident
Jim slave June 10, 1859 at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road Natural Causes
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Nancy Weaver December 20, 1893 at Edgefield Court House Accident
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Charles negro boy November 14, 1842 On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence Accident
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide
Henry negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at New Savannah in beach Island Accident
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
Joe infant negro August 26, 1860 at John Huiets Accident

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