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
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
infant, (male) infant, (male) April 29, 1857 at Potterville Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Henry Turner September 24, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
George W. Medlock January 1, 1848 at the house of Daniel Abby Natural Causes
Cap Bryan February 25, 1893 at the plantation of Mrs Doziers Accident
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Pompy Robinson November 1, 1898 at Norris Place Natural Causes
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Peter Negro man December 30, 1859 at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch Accident
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
infant child infant child December 9, 1891 at a colored cemetary Accident
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Harriet negro woman July 20, 1859 at the residence of JB Rease Natural Causes
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Dick male slave July 13, 1859 at Ted Scurrys residence Accident
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Robert slave, boy April 8, 1847 at Edward Hampton's Suicide
Lidda Hampton November 24, 1893 at A Derrecks Natural Causes
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
John Rufus Russell October 10, 1884 at John L Russell House Accident
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Lewis slave May 21, 1861 at S. H. Roggers Suicide
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Lilla Olophant female infant August 18, 1879 at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] Accident
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
Joe slave, boy September 13, 1860 at the residence of D. M. Glover Homicide
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
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes

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