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
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
John H Webb January 22, 1882 at James Webb Residence Accident
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
Silvy Nix January 1, 1891 Natural Causes
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
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
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
Wilson Griffin freedman February 13, 1867 at Luke Rodgers Homicide
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
J. B. Whittle November 28, 1894 at Mrs Whittles Natural Causes
Alick Croker boy September 29, 1878 at Mrs. Marshes premises Accident
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Lovina negroe girl, a slave September 4, 1860 at Doct H M Folks[Faulk?] Suicide
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
James Edward Settle boy March 9, 1884 on Henry Hill Plantation Accident
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Charity Johnson March 11, 1847 at the Residence of Charity Johnson, late deceased Natural Causes
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Bluford Abney November 14, 1894 at M.A. Colemans plantation Natural Causes
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
Enoch Douglass August 11, 1879 near Wesly Barrs on the rail road Accident
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown
Henry Ethredge June 2, 1899 at the plantation of P.B. Mayson Accident
Rachiel Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
George Mitchel June 21, 1881 at J. R Corleys Accident
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Jane Glover January 12, 1883 at Handy Tanks House on John Wir[?] plantation Unknown
Learma Butler November 7, 1890 at W.H. Folks plantation Natural Causes
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide

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