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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yancy Hardy | December 31, 1877 | at Dr. GJ[?] Butlers Plantation | Homicide | pistol | |
Wily Royal | January 7, 1895 | at J.S. Hancocks | Accident | pistol | |
Wilson Griffin | freedman | February 13, 1867 | at Luke Rodgers | Homicide | |
Willis Cumings | child | October 10, 1890 | at C. M. Lanhams | Accident | |
Willis Asbell | December 7, 1877 | at Ridge Spring | Homicide | ||
Willie Toney | March 26, 1899 | at Edgefield Court House | Homicide | ||
Willie Glover | July 26, 1892 | at Lark Glovers Plantation | Accident | mule | |
Willie G. Harris | March 25, 1897 | at Edgefield CH | Homicide | ||
William White | December 10, 1898 | at Savanah River | Accident | ||
William Thurmond | February 14, 1856 | at Edgefield Court House, Planters[?] Hotel | Homicide | chair | |
William Samuel | April 26, 1891 | at Scima[?] Hill Church | Homicide | ||
William Prince | July 9, 1851 | at the house of John W Garrett | Accident | ||
William Perry | January 7, 1894 | in the county and state aforesaid | Accident | ||
William Padgett | February 22, 1894 | at W.D. Readys plantation | Homicide | ||
William Martin | May 24, 1891 | on the premises of W. E. Friday | Homicide | pistol | |
William M. Tredaway | March 27, 1851 | at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island | Homicide | ||
William Lundy | August 28, 1846 | at house of John Rainsford | Accident | ||
William L. Russell | September 6, 1849 | in the Hotel of H Jordon | Suicide | razor | |
William Humphry | January 4, 1894 | at Etheridge Bridge | Accident | pocket knife | |
William Harlin | February 19, 1856 | at a new place sitting by Mr James Swearingem(Jr) on the Akien Road | Accident | ||
William H Maharey | May 25, 1863 | at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company | Accident | ||
William Cloud | July 8, 1851 | at the Spaun[?] Hotel | Homicide | pistol | |
William C. Goff | May 7, 1865 | at Bethany Church | Accident | ||
William Bailey | July 19, 1846 | at the House of Samuel C Scott | Homicide | ||
William Anderson | April 14, 1864 | at the plantation of T.[?] S Boles | Natural Causes | ||
William | negro man, boy, slave | February 13, 1849 | at R. F. Barretts | Homicide | knife |
Will Collens | October 20, 1894 | at Gaines SC | Homicide | ||
white man | white man | October 21, 1849 | in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields | Natural Causes | |
Whit Terry | October 19, 1894 | J.K. Corleys Place | Homicide | ||
Wesley Weaver[?] | June 15, 1858 | at Mrs Lydia Nevus[?] | Suicide | shotgun | |
Wesley | male slave, child | October 5, 1857 | at the residence of Sophia A Tilman | Homicide | |
Warren Kirkland | November 16, 1858 | at Benjamin Bartons | Homicide | ||
Wallace Halloway | June 25, 1895 | at Edgefield Court house | Accident | train | |
Wallace E. Bland | July 4, 1880 | at Edgefield C. House | Homicide | ||
Wade Medlock | July 12, 1894 | at Benjamin Boatwrights Plantation | Unknown | ||
Wade Barronton | October 8, 1860 | at Wade Barrontons Residence | Natural Causes | ||
W. W. Miller Sr. | white man | July 10, 1891 | at J M. Mays place | Accident | |
W. T. Mathis | November 11, 1897 | at the Yeldell place | Natural Causes | ||
W. Brooker Toney | August 12, 1878 | at E. C. House | Homicide | pistol | |
Violet | negro woman (slave) | March 25, 1844 | at John Dinkinses | Suicide | |
Victor | male slave | April 24, 1859 | at A. L. Dearing Plantation | Natural Causes | |
Uriah Koon | October 16, 1847 | at the house of Col John Hunt | Accident | wagon | |
Unknown | August 30, 1866 | at Fosity[?] Creek ford | Unknown | ||
Unknown | April 11, 1860 | at or near W.J. Walkers | Unknown | ||
Unknown | October 10, 1869 | at Graniteville | Accident | train | |
Tom Waldrum | colored man (Free) | January 20, 1857 | in the woods near Mr Avory Franklins | Accident | |
Tom | negro boy | February 5, 1853 | at the late residence of Col Harling Quarles[?] deceased | Natural Causes | |
Tom | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at H. L. Maysons in Beach island | Accident | |
Tom | negro slave | December 18, 1858 | at Chlo Watsons | Homicide | |
Tom | Slave, old negro man | January 12, 1853 | near the residence of Harry Scott | Accident |