Edgefield County, SC
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," 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
Name | Deceased Description | Date | Inquest Location | Death Type | Death Method |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
infant child | infant child | June 14, 1891 | at Kenny Grave Yard | Accident | |
James Perry | December 27, 1894 | at Mt Enon Church | Accident | ||
Louisa Wooden | October 13, 1893 | at Mose Woden | Accident | ||
John Rufus Russell | October 10, 1884 | at John L Russell House | Accident | ||
John Hester | May 13, 1846 | at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy | Accident | ||
negro man | negro man | April 10, 1850 | near Kilcreases Ferry | Accident | |
Joseph Shaw | July 26, 1858 | at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. | Accident | ||
John Seigler | February 13, 1856 | at J.H. Christians | Accident | buggy | |
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
Peter | Negro man | December 30, 1859 | at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch | Accident | |
John McManas | December 4, 1883 | at the Jail | Accident | ||
Lewis | negro man | March 20, 1846 | at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation | Accident | |
Charly Washington | boy | November 22, 1891 | at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry | Accident | |
Wily Royal | January 7, 1895 | at J.S. Hancocks | Accident | pistol | |
Cap Bryan | February 25, 1893 | at the plantation of Mrs Doziers | Accident | ||
Larrence Valentine | December 28, 1893 | at Mt[?] Willing | Accident | ||
A. G. Howard | February 28, 1860 | at Grannet Ville Depot | Accident | ||
Jesse Moragna[?] | March 3, 1882 | at Luke Moragines[?] House | Accident | ||
Lucius Walker | October 5, 1869 | at James Doziers plantation | Accident | ||
William White | December 10, 1898 | at Savanah River | Accident | ||
Lila Washington | February 20, 1879 | at Wesley Barns Mill | Accident | ||
Toby | negro man | July 10, 1844 | near Bauskett Bridge on Stevens Creek | Accident | |
Billy | November 28, 1857 | at the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | wagon | |
Julia Hightower | child | November 9, 1890 | at Mr Sam Marshes Place | Accident | |
Henry Peterson | June 13, 1893 | at Ridge Spring | Accident | train | |
Mingo Mosley | January 13, 1883 | at Samuel[?] Corley's | Accident | ||
Cland Elam | child | March 17, 1892 | at A. J. Norris Place | Accident | |
Abram | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at Henry L Maysons | Accident | |
Henry Jones | September 21, 1855 | Accident | |||
infant | infant | January 24, 1893 | at Clintonwards | Accident | |
Albert Brunson | June 26, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Accident | train | |
Henry | slave, boy | May 1, 1857 | at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek | Accident | |
Thomas Welheu[?] | June 19, 1868 | at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road | Accident | ||
A. R. Steel | girl child | August 28, 1869 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
Thomas | child of Thomas M Chandler | September 11, 1850 | at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery | Accident | |
Andrew | negro man | October 6, 1855 | on the track of the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | train |
James Frazier | Babie | October 24, 1890 | at D. B Hollingworth | Accident | |
Kenneth Martor[?] | January 15, 1852 | at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek | Accident | ||
Samuel Harrison | February 18, 1881 | at [inelligible - faded] | Accident | ||
infant child | infant child | December 9, 1891 | at a colored cemetary | Accident | |
William Prince | July 9, 1851 | at the house of John W Garrett | Accident | ||
Tom | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at H. L. Maysons in Beach island | Accident | |
Steve Yeldell | October 28, 1894 | at Edgefield | Accident | cart | |
Hampton Reynolds | July 30, 1892 | at J.W. Reynolds Plantation | Accident | ||
Robert Johnston | May 23, 1891 | at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R | Accident | ||
David West | boy | January 30, 1862 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
Elijah Sullivan | April 24, 1898 | at Cow-buel[?] place | Accident | ||
Sam | Slave | June 14, 1858 | at Henry Spiers[?] | Accident | |
Thomas Rosseter[?] | August 30, 1852 | at Hamburg SC | Accident | ||
Elmira Jackson | May 18, 1884 | at George Holingsworths House | Accident |