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
John Webb March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Luther Sullivan October 26, 1898 near John Stuarts Homicide
Margaret Simpkins September 21, 1879 on Jas C Brooks Plantation Homicide shotgun
George Ross June 29, 1898 at Adoms[?] place Homicide
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
Green negro boy July 23, 1850 at the house of John Cheatham Homicide knife
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Louisa Laudon October 11, 1869 at Dorns Steam Mills near Rocky Creek Homicide knife
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
Tandy Holmes September 21, 1894 at or on Dr. W.C. Prescotts Plantation Homicide
Joshua Hammond Jr. September 6, 1849 at a place belonging to John Bauskett[?] on little horse creek Homicide fence rail
Isaac Matthias Jones October 14, 1858 at the house of Lewis Jones (Sr) at Edgefield C.H. Homicide knife
John E. Paul June 14, 1892 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Lewis negro man, boy March 14, 1861 at Charles Hammonds Brickyard Homicide pistol
John Butler October 23, 1850 at the House of Mr Seth Butler Homicide knife
Teague Tillman October 2, 1899 at the plantation of Thos. H. Ramsford Homicide pistol
Ben Lowman September 14, 1894 at W.[?] L. Rawls Mills Homicide pistol
Augustus W. Burt March 25, 1847 at the Plantation of A.W. Burt Homicide axe
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Britton McClendon November 11, 1850 near the residence of Henry C. Turner Homicide large hunting knife
J. D. Ouzts December 7, 1891 at Edgefield Homicide pistol
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
James Ramsey December 12, 1869 at the residence of Andrew Ramsay Sr Homicide pistol
Lewis Moore November 30, 1891 at the plantation of Robert Smith Homicide pocket knife
John H. Anderson March 21, 1891 at Tom Anderson place Homicide
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
Pink Williams October 6, 1898 at or near Mr E.F. Pickles residence Homicide
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Clara Bell colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
Charles Cobb March 13, 1893 at or near Johnston Homicide umbrella
infant infant January 10, 1898 at Johnston Homicide
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Griff Zimmerman October 9, 1899 at Johnston Township Homicide pistol
Keal Johnson colourd man October 20, 1866 at J.M. Proctors Residence Homicide pistol
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Sam Howard Freedman August 6, 1866 at L. L. Halls Homicide knife
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
Isaac Boseley July 5, 1880 at Ridge Spring Homicide pistol
Baze negro slave March 31, 1863 at the D. J. Howls Homicide chop axe
Thomas O'Donald September 13, 1869 at Dr. John E. Padgetts Homicide pistol
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
William Thurmond February 14, 1856 at Edgefield Court House, Planters[?] Hotel Homicide chair
Arthur Morris June 20, 1898 at M. W Clarks Homicide pistol
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Alice Adkinson October 18, 1898 at Republican Church Homicide
infant child infant child August 5, 1878 at the residence of H J Wright Homicide
Prophet Burt freedman December 29, 1866 at E.N. Troys Homicide knife
Jim negro boy July 23, 1855 at Wade Holsteens Homicide knife

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