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
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
John Shumport[?] November 7, 1851 at John Shumports[?] Accident
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Anderson B. Branham January 6, 1892 at the plantation of M. C. Parker Unknown
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Wade Barronton October 8, 1860 at Wade Barrontons Residence Natural Causes
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
Sam negro, slave September 18, 1846 at the residence of Mrs Nancy Delaughter Natural Causes
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Rhoda female slave July 4, 1857 at Dorn's[?] Mill Natural Causes
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Bob negro September 23, 1864 in the District Natural Causes
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
George Watkins October 10, 1866 at George Watkins Homicide
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
R. Mackgrath January 5, 1852 at the house of John Dobey Other

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