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
Robert W. Kincade December 27, 1845 at the house of Baley[?] Corley Natural Causes
Samuel Harrison February 18, 1881 at [inelligible - faded] Accident
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Rufus Harling September 16, 1897 at Clarks Hill Homicide
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Joel W. Warren November 9, 1894 at Joseph Mirren[?] House Natural Causes
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Anderson B. Branham January 6, 1892 at the plantation of M. C. Parker Unknown
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
Chaney negro woman December 11, 1855 at the dwelling house of Mrs Randall in the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
Sam negro, slave September 18, 1846 at the residence of Mrs Nancy Delaughter Natural Causes
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
Rhoda female slave July 4, 1857 at Dorn's[?] Mill Natural Causes
Joseph Shaw July 26, 1858 at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. Accident
George W. Medlock January 1, 1848 at the house of Daniel Abby Natural Causes
Joseph Ruffington January 9, 1893 at Thos O Attaways Accident
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Jim McKie October 26, 1898 near John starks Homicide
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
infant child infant child June 14, 1891 at Kenny Grave Yard Accident
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
Frank Milton child January 26, 1894 at Sanders Loricks Natural Causes
Dinah Woman Slave May 22, 1849 at Allen Griffith Natural Causes
Minnie Johnson December 22, 1892 at John Bettis plantation Accident
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
Martha Lanham January 29, 1892 at Wilts[?] Curryes place Natural Causes
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Mary Grace Aldrich infant child August 11, 1856 at Graniteville Homicide
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
A. G. Howard February 28, 1860 at Grannet Ville Depot Accident
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
Sis Bonham child February 18, 1894 at M.B. Davenports Accident
Polly Vines April 20, 1892 at the house of Ben. Holt Natural Causes
Richard Stevens February 21, 1898 at Johnston S.C. Natural Causes
George Ross June 29, 1898 at Adoms[?] place Homicide

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