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 1 - 50 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
Learma Butler November 7, 1890 at W.H. Folks plantation Natural Causes
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
George Robinson January 12, 1892 at the plantation of E. B. Davis 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
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
Sallie Young December 8, 1890 at Mr A. F Broadwaters Plantation Accident
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
Cooper slave March 17, 1852 at the plantation of L.H. Mundy decd Natural Causes
infant child infant child November 17, 1891 at Mr M Toneys place Unknown
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
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
infant child infant child January 18, 1892 at the Plantation of L. G. Swearinger Accident
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
Dudley Roundtree August 10, 1856 at the dwelling house of the late Dudley Roundtree Natural Causes
W. T. Mathis November 11, 1897 at the Yeldell place Natural Causes
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Esther Jeter April 17, 1893 at Huiets x Roads Accident
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
Jim slave June 10, 1859 at M, L, Bonham Esqr residence on the Pine House road Natural Causes
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
Ora Weaver February 21, 1891 at the plantation of D B. H Holfarth[illegible - ink blot] Accident

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia