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 301 - 350 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Peter Negro man December 30, 1859 at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch Accident
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
Henry Goodman May 4, 1851 at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Eunice Hogan October 26, 1851 at the house of John Briskey Homicide
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
William H Maharey May 25, 1863 at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company Accident
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
Aggy Latily[?] negro woman slave June 21, 1848 at the plantation of N L Griffin Unknown
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
Lidda Hampton November 24, 1893 at A Derrecks Natural Causes
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
Dinah Woman Slave May 22, 1849 at Allen Griffith Natural Causes
infant infant December 15, 1892 at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard Accident
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Abram negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at Henry L Maysons Accident
John J. Cobb July 23, 1843 at William Elkins Mill Pond Suicide
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
Robert J. Butler September 15, 1864 at Hamburg Homicide
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
Lona May Hamilton child October 18, 1893 at or near Longmires PO[?] Natural Causes
Thomas Glover August 2, 1893 at Bill Werk[?] Residence Homicide
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Dilsey Seigler September 20, 1869 at Miles Mills Natural Causes
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Thomas Welheu[?] June 19, 1868 at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Caroline Free negro August 26, 1858 four miles from Hamburg Unknown
Sallie Busch August 21, 1892 at Lewis Beans plantation Natural Causes
Jack Taylor April 11, 1892 at the house of Hal[?] Miles Natural Causes
Tom negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at H. L. Maysons in Beach island Accident
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Stepney negro man September 29, 1848 at the Swamp Platation of Wiley Glover, decd on Savannah River Suicide
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
Henry slave, boy May 1, 1857 at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek Accident
Lawrence Frazier child January 14, 1895 at D.B. Holingsworths Accident
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
J. E. Black May 8, 1861 at the Residence of J. E. Black Other

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