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 401 - 450 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
Charley Ryan May 9, 1892 at T. H. Ramsford Plantion Homicide
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Henry male slave July 15, 1858 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide hickory stick
Elijah Reynolds April 11, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide pistol
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Richard Lundy December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Robert Neid free man of Colour August 26, 1847 at Vaudun[?] Factory Homicide dirk knife
Harry Anderson December 16, 1882 at Clinton Ward Homicide pistol
Eugene McCarty May 11, 1861 at Edgefield Court house Homicide pistol
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Lizzy three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide axe
Eldred Glover March 2, 1852 at the house of John Doby Homicide pistol
Mary Randall October 19, 1857 at the Residence of John Randall Homicide razor
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
John E. Elsmore November 28, 1869 at the house of John E. Elsmore Homicide pistol
Randal negro man May 9, 1844 at Grancis Bettis's plantation on Horns Creek Homicide cow skin
Carey Ashley October 11, 1879 at J W Wises[?] plantation Homicide pistol
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
William Cloud July 8, 1851 at the Spaun[?] Hotel Homicide pistol
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Henry Mobley December 11, 1899 at Johnston Homicide pistol
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Lee Ryan September 27, 1877 at the plantation of Abram F Broadwater Homicide iron instrument
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Thomas Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide pistol
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
Gus Blocker August 18, 1892 at the plantion of July Blocker Homicide
Johnson Peterson March 9, 1892 at Deny[?] S.C. Homicide pistol
Aaron slave December 5, 1852 at A. Bushnells Shop Homicide chisel
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
Stephen Stalmaker August 30, 1850 at J.M.C. Freeland's Homicide plank
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Hammond Frasier November 6, 1897 at Trenton S.C. Homicide pistol
Rose three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Aaron slave December 3, 1851 at the house of Larkin Swearinghim Homicide cow hide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Stanmore B. Chappell January 19, 1867 at S.B. Chappells Residence Homicide pistol
Andrew slave September 3, 1850 at A.P. Butlers plantation Homicide rail
Yancy Hardy December 31, 1877 at Dr. GJ[?] Butlers Plantation Homicide pistol
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
W. Brooker Toney August 12, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide pistol
Prince negro boy December 23, 1849 at Thos G. Lamars Mills on little horse creek Homicide knife
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide

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