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
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
Cesar Negro, negro boy July 7, 1843 at the house of Elijah Watson Homicide
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
Pete slave October 31, 1864 at Liberty hill Unknown
John McManas December 4, 1883 at the Jail Accident
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
Thomas Glover August 2, 1893 at Bill Werk[?] Residence Homicide
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
John G. Riddle July 3, 1860 at the residence of Mr Richard Burton Natural Causes
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Richard Mims August 1, 1899 at the plantation of Mrs. H. Carter Accident
Mingo Mosley January 13, 1883 at Samuel[?] Corley's Accident
Prince negro man October 27, 1844 at Mrs Elizabeth Timmermans Suicide
Joshua negro man slave June 26, 1860 at Harmon Gallman Unknown
J. F. Styron April 21, 1891 at residence of J. F. Styron[?] 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
Lila Washington February 20, 1879 at Wesley Barns Mill Accident
Garett Doby October 11, 1880 at William Rufus Natural Causes
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
Edinborough Ryan December 30, 1882 at Mrs D. L Bussy Plantation Accident
infant child infant child July 24, 1892 at Promised Land School house Unknown
Levi S. Mathews July 13, 1892 at G. C. Wheerles[?] Residence Natural Causes
Gertrude infant child December 1, 1891 at Edgfield Court house Accident
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Jesse Moragna[?] March 3, 1882 at Luke Moragines[?] House Accident
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Joseph W. Glover September 2, 1844 at Charles Comptys[?] Hotel Homicide
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
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
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Jno. C Swearingin April 24, 1895 at Edgefield CH Homicide
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Everett Hook July 18, 1891 at the saw Mill of M J Hook Accident
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes

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