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 51 - 100 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Callen O'Neall November 11, 1855 at Luke Havirds[?] Accident
Henry Jennings September 14, 1891 at the residense of diceased Natural Causes
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
Isaac Oliphant November 9, 1882 at Ritch Thomson Accident
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Infred Padgett July 12, 1848 at the Joal of Edgefield Natural Causes
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Lizzy Rardon September 28, 1879 at Clansey Holloways plantation Accident
Lizzie Darian child November 21, 1894 at Waldo Richardsons Accident
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
James Reynolds December 20, 1860 at the residence of James Reynolds Homicide
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
Milledge Fuller freedman February 18, 1867 at John Ransford plantation Accident
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Joel Etheridge November 29, 1893 at Joel Etheridge Residence Unknown
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Kisiah Frazier December 17, 1893 at the plantation of T S Rainsforde Natural Causes
Garett Doby October 11, 1880 at William Rufus Natural Causes
Tilman Attaway April 14, 1849 at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Jim Coleman freidman November 15, 1866 at the Mackey Place on horse Creek Accident
Patrick Burns[?] November 4, 1858 at the residence of Richard Campbell Natural Causes
Reubin Weaver December 28, 1895 at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation Natural Causes
infant child infant child July 24, 1892 at Promised Land School house Unknown
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
Gertrude infant child December 1, 1891 at Edgfield Court house Accident
Charles slave July 31, 1851 at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield Accident
James Thomas colored July 20, 1869 at Liberty Hill County Homicide
Sam slave, boy October 10, 1857 at the Carolina Hotel, Edgefield C.H. Unknown
Henry negro man June 3, 1849 at the house of Mrs Mary Harrison Accident
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Mary Harrison September 10, 1894 at Dornville Accident
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Prince negro man October 27, 1844 at Mrs Elizabeth Timmermans Suicide
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Ryal Negro Slave July 28, 1851 at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek Accident
Edmund Brown December 24, 1853 at the house of Wm Merchantile[?] Homicide
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Infant Infant December 18, 1894 at the Rinheart Grave yard Unknown

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