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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph Shaw | July 26, 1858 | at the residence of John H Shaw near Edgefield C.H. | Accident | ||
Dave | negro man Slave | March 16, 1849 | at Kilcrease's Ferry | Accident | boat |
Joseph Ruffington | January 9, 1893 | at Thos O Attaways | Accident | ||
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
John McManas | December 4, 1883 | at the Jail | Accident | ||
Ransom Hollaway | May 14, 1862 | at Ransom Holaways | Accident | lightning | |
George Washington Crowder | October 19, 1866 | at Grannetville | Accident | ||
Willie Glover | July 26, 1892 | at Lark Glovers Plantation | Accident | mule | |
George Bowers | May 26, 1891 | at Kenards bend | Accident | mule | |
Clem | slave, boy | October 3, 1858 | at Tabitha Abney's | Accident | |
Wallace Halloway | June 25, 1895 | at Edgefield Court house | Accident | train | |
Hampton Weaver | colored | July 17, 1869 | at the house of and on the farm of James T Outz | Accident | shotgun |
A. G. Howard | February 28, 1860 | at Grannet Ville Depot | Accident | ||
Jesse Moragna[?] | March 3, 1882 | at Luke Moragines[?] House | Accident | ||
Unknown | October 10, 1869 | at Graniteville | Accident | train | |
Esther Jeter | April 17, 1893 | at Huiets x Roads | Accident | ||
Lila Washington | February 20, 1879 | at Wesley Barns Mill | Accident | ||
Sis Bonham | child | February 18, 1894 | at M.B. Davenports | Accident | |
Billy | November 28, 1857 | at the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | wagon | |
John Scott | May 10, 1851 | at Vaucluse[?] Factory | Accident | horse | |
Seware[?] Stuart | November 4, 1893 | at J.[?] E. Griffiths | Accident | ||
Minnie Johnson | December 22, 1892 | at John Bettis plantation | Accident | ||
Mingo Mosley | January 13, 1883 | at Samuel[?] Corley's | Accident | ||
Abram | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at Henry L Maysons | Accident | |
Hugh Duffey Sr. | August 26, 1855 | at Bethany Church | Accident | horse | |
Robert Reynolds | July 30, 1892 | at J.W. Reynolds Plantation | Accident | ||
Lizzie Darian | child | November 21, 1894 | at Waldo Richardsons | Accident | |
Blanchy Wilson | November 30, 1893 | on the plantation of Robert Hastings | Accident | ||
Thomas Welheu[?] | June 19, 1868 | at Benjamin Better[?] wheat field on the Columbia & Augusta Rail Road | Accident | ||
Curry | slave | March 17, 1856 | at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation | Accident | |
Thomas | child of Thomas M Chandler | September 11, 1850 | at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery | Accident | |
Samuel Harrison | February 18, 1881 | at [inelligible - faded] | Accident | ||
Tom | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at H. L. Maysons in Beach island | Accident | |
Callen O'Neall | November 11, 1855 | at Luke Havirds[?] | Accident | ||
Milton Barter[?] | youth | August 24, 1849 | at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills | Accident | |
Henry Ethredge | June 2, 1899 | at the plantation of P.B. Mayson | Accident | ||
David West | boy | January 30, 1862 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
Mary Harrison | September 10, 1894 | at Dornville | Accident | ||
infant child | infant child | January 18, 1892 | at the Plantation of L. G. Swearinger | Accident | |
John Whitlock | boy | September 8, 1869 | at Grainteville | Accident | |
Sam | Slave | June 14, 1858 | at Henry Spiers[?] | Accident | |
Tom | Slave, old negro man | January 12, 1853 | near the residence of Harry Scott | Accident | |
Elmira Jackson | May 18, 1884 | at George Holingsworths House | Accident | ||
Eva Blocker | February 11, 1893 | at J. P. Wrights Plantation | Accident | ||
Sallie Young | December 8, 1890 | at Mr A. F Broadwaters Plantation | Accident | ||
Elleck | free boy | December 13, 1866 | at Johnathan Gregorys | Accident | |
Lucy Roper | June 29, 1899 | on the pantation of S.W. Miller | Accident | lightning | |
Richard J. Barton | December 28, 1866 | at Mrs Lucinda Bartons | Accident | ||
Sarah Lucas | October 30, 1890 | at Mr. M L Holson | Accident | ||
John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young | Accident |