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 101 - 150 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Typesort descending Death Method
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Ora Weaver February 21, 1891 at the plantation of D B. H Holfarth[illegible - ink blot] Accident
Isah Zimmerman December 26, 1881 at the Residence of W F Ste[?]eies Accident pistol
Sarah Lucas October 30, 1890 at Mr. M L Holson Accident
Elijah Flour[?] youth July 24, 1849 at the hous of Mrs Salley Spradley Accident
Jack negro boy May 14, 1852 at the house of H. W. Posey Accident
Emanuel slave March 12, 1856 at Matthew McGraw's plantation Accident
William Perry January 7, 1894 in the county and state aforesaid Accident
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
Solomon negro man June 24, 1844 near the Mill of George A. McKee on Stevens Creek Accident
Billy November 28, 1857 at the South Carolina Rail Road Accident wagon
Jesse Limbecker June 18, 1869 at Hamburg Accident
Willis Cumings child October 10, 1890 at C. M. Lanhams Accident
Fannie Ford March 5, 1893 at Trenton S.C. Accident train
Tom Waldrum colored man (Free) January 20, 1857 in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins Accident
Sallie Holmes December 20, 1893 at D. P. Bodies[?] Accident
James Blocker May 6, 1897 Accident train
George Delaughter April 30, 1861 at the Hamburg Passenger Depot Accident train
Charles negro boy November 14, 1842 On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence Accident
Isaac negro man December 1, 1856 at a point on the South Carolina Rail Road [?] Brooks Mill creek Accident train
Selena Allen child, boy, baby December 12, 1890 at Mrs Blacks[?] Plantation Accident
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Uriah Koon October 16, 1847 at the house of Col John Hunt Accident wagon
Infant Boy Child Infant Boy Child June 18, 1883 at Marsh Grobe Yard Accident
W. W. Miller Sr. white man July 10, 1891 at J M. Mays place Accident
Henry negro man Slave August 21, 1850 at New Savannah in beach Island Accident
William Harlin February 19, 1856 at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road Accident
infant child infant child November 23, 1891 at the plantation of Willis Owdom[?] Accident
Balus Harrison November 14, 1893 at Edgefield CH Accident cart
Joseph Jay October 4, 1860 at Joseph Jays Accident horse
William Humphry January 4, 1894 at Etheridge Bridge Accident pocket knife
Adam negro man Slave, boy August 3, 1850 at Vaucluse Factory Accident
Sam Slave June 14, 1858 at Henry Spiers[?] Accident
Ben Culbreath July 24, 1895 at Jno A Corleys plantation Accident horse
Edward Horton August 7, 1879 near Wesley Barrs[?] Accident sunstroke
Allen Bauknight freedman June 11, 1866 at William Bauknights Accident
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 Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
negro man negro man April 10, 1850 near Kilcreases Ferry Accident
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Charles negro boy March 7, 1857 at Archy Clark residence Accident
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Lousay November 25, 1860 at Doct John E. Padgett Accident
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Peter Negro man December 30, 1859 at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch Accident
Lewis negro man March 20, 1846 at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation Accident

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