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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacob Horn | February 25, 1866 | at the hous of Jacob Horns | Homicide | ||
Isham Glover | August 10, 1892 | at Edgefield C.H. | Homicide | ||
Tom | negro slave | December 18, 1858 | at Chlo Watsons | Homicide | |
Peter | negro man | June 16, 1838 | at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys | Homicide | stick |
infant child | infant child | August 5, 1878 | at the residence of H J Wright | Homicide | |
Alice Adkinson | October 18, 1898 | at Republican Church | Homicide | ||
Jim | negro boy | July 23, 1855 | at Wade Holsteens | Homicide | knife |
Mahlon Jones | December 25, 1891 | at Landrams Farm | Homicide | ||
Wilson Griffin | freedman | February 13, 1867 | at Luke Rodgers | Homicide | |
Charles | slave, boy | September 25, 1861 | at Elijah Watson | Homicide | |
Al White | October 12, 1898 | at Mundy[?] Place | Homicide | ||
Allen Smith | Freedman | January 19, 1867 | at S.B. Chappells Residence | Homicide | pistol |
John Laudrum | October 11, 1869 | at Dons Steam Mills near Rocky Creek | Homicide | knife | |
Isaah Golden | August 27, 1860 | at Silverton Beach iland | Homicide | knife | |
Presley Wise | July 11, 1891 | at D W. Padgetts plantation | Homicide | ||
Dave Parkman | December 16, 1897 | at Cheatham place | Homicide | pistol | |
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
Frank Holson | freedman | January 9, 1867 | at Lee Holson | Homicide | pistol |
James Reynolds | December 20, 1860 | at the residence of James Reynolds | Homicide | ||
Nelson Smith | freedman, boy | October 4, 1866 | at Andrew Warts | Homicide | |
Rufus Harling | September 16, 1897 | at Clarks Hill | Homicide | ||
Matilda H. Posey | February 26, 1849 | at the house of Martin Posey | Homicide | stick | |
Jim McKie | October 26, 1898 | near John starks | Homicide | ||
Levi H. McDaniel | March 9, 1859 | at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road | Homicide | ||
infant child | infant child | December 14, 1877 | at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation | Homicide | |
Sam Howard | Freedman | August 6, 1866 | at L. L. Halls | Homicide | knife |
Lucious Perry | November 8, 1891 | at the plantation of Ben Boatwright | Homicide | ||
William Padgett | February 22, 1894 | at W.D. Readys plantation | Homicide | ||
James Booth | August 23, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | ||
Willie G. Harris | March 25, 1897 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
Alfred Hollingsworth | October 10, 1898 | at David Strothers place | Homicide | razor | |
Edmond Sharpton | December 20, 1866 | at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer | Homicide | pistol | |
Willis Asbell | December 7, 1877 | at Ridge Spring | Homicide | ||
John Williams | August 21, 1898 | at S H Nicholson | Homicide | stick | |
Mary Grace Aldrich | infant child | August 11, 1856 | at Graniteville | Homicide | |
Allen Holmes | March 4, 1882 | at Oscar Seigler Residence | Homicide | ||
John McKinny | September 26, 1894 | at W P. Lipfords[?] | Homicide | ||
John Crawford | June 25, 1853 | at the house of John Crawford | Suicide | pocket knife | |
Darling Willis | March 4, 1859 | at Wade Holeston warter | Suicide | pistol | |
J. J. Jennings | November 16, 1860 | at J J Jennings | Suicide | ||
William L. Russell | September 6, 1849 | in the Hotel of H Jordon | Suicide | razor | |
Ann | negro woman | December 8, 1848 | at the house of Benja F Landrum | Suicide | rope |
John Randall | October 19, 1857 | at the dwelling house of John Randall | Suicide | razor | |
J. Hancock | June 13, 1859 | at J. Hancocks | Suicide | shotgun | |
Ellick | negro man | April 26, 1851 | at the house of W. F Prescott | Suicide | rope |
Joel Roper Sr. | August 30, 1845 | at the house of Joel Roper Sr | Suicide | rope | |
Sarah Jowls[?] | November 16, 1858 | at Mrs Mary Ann Keys | Suicide | rope | |
John J. Cobb | July 23, 1843 | at William Elkins Mill Pond | Suicide | ||
Samuel M. Dowel | July 25, 1844 | at James Murrels | Suicide | knife | |
Michael Long | October 11, 1877 | near the Residence of E.N. Youngblood | Suicide | knife |