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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ben Culbreath | July 24, 1895 | at Jno A Corleys plantation | Accident | horse | |
James Perry | December 27, 1894 | at Mt Enon Church | Accident | ||
Mary Blocker | December 6, 1894 | at R H Parks | Accident | strychnine | |
Charles | negro man | February 27, 1850 | at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River | Accident | |
Peter | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Charles S. Harrison | November 25, 1878 | at E.C. House | Accident | pistol | |
Duke | negro man | March 25, 1855 | near Dennis Carpenters | Accident | |
Lizzy Rardon | September 28, 1879 | at Clansey Holloways plantation | Accident | ||
Sam | negro man | October 19, 1856 | on the track of the South Carolina Rail Road between the Paper Mill and Marsh's | Accident | train |
Mike | negro man | September 13, 1844 | at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill | Accident | |
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
Isaac Oliphant | November 9, 1882 | at Ritch Thomson | Accident | ||
Benjamin Cockroft | March 18, 1847 | in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe | Accident | ||
Lewis | negro man | March 20, 1846 | at & in the Revd Mr. Brooks Plantation | Accident | |
Charly Washington | boy | November 22, 1891 | at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry | Accident | |
Ryal | Negro Slave | July 28, 1851 | at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek | Accident | |
Betsey | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |
Henry | negro man | June 3, 1849 | at the house of Mrs Mary Harrison | Accident | |
John | slave | September 27, 1863 | at the residence of Johnson A Bland | Accident | |
Larrence Valentine | December 28, 1893 | at Mt[?] Willing | Accident | ||
Lucius Walker | October 5, 1869 | at James Doziers plantation | Accident | ||
William White | December 10, 1898 | at Savanah River | Accident | ||
Gertrude | infant child | December 1, 1891 | at Edgfield Court house | Accident | |
Nancy Weaver | December 20, 1893 | at Edgefield Court House | Accident | ||
William Prince | July 9, 1851 | at the house of John W Garrett | Accident | ||
Spencer Mays | freedman | November 8, 1866 | at John Buslys | Accident | pistol |
Abram | man slave | August 17, 1860 | at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin | Accident | snake |
infant | infant | January 24, 1893 | at Clintonwards | Accident | |
Albert Brunson | June 26, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Accident | train | |
Harry | negro boy | September 9, 1858 | at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks | Accident | |
William C. Goff | May 7, 1865 | at Bethany Church | Accident | ||
Milledge Fuller | freedman | February 18, 1867 | at John Ransford plantation | Accident | |
A. R. Steel | girl child | August 28, 1869 | at Graniteville | Accident | |
Everett Hook | July 18, 1891 | at the saw Mill of M J Hook | Accident | ||
Kenneth Martor[?] | January 15, 1852 | at Thomas Samar's[?] Mills on horse creek | Accident | ||
Isaac Grimer | December 10, 1868 | at Jacobs Branch on the Spaun Church road | Accident | ||
Dick | male slave | July 13, 1859 | at Ted Scurrys residence | Accident | |
Ezekiel Thomas | February 4, 1879 | near Johnstons | Accident | train | |
Tilman Attaway | April 14, 1849 | at the corner of the Oharer[?] old field | Accident | ||
Robert Johnston | May 23, 1891 | at Clarks Ferry below bridge on C. & G.[?] R R | Accident | ||
Berry Butler | October 9, 1892 | at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation | Accident | ||
Lilla Olophant | female infant | August 18, 1879 | at Simpton[?] Pinns[?] | Accident | |
Jim Coleman | freidman | November 15, 1866 | at the Mackey Place on horse Creek | Accident | |
Charles | slave | July 31, 1851 | at the house of John M. Norris Esqr in Edgefield | Accident | |
John Radford | April 12, 1860 | at the residence of John Radford | Accident | wagon | |
Elijah Sullivan | April 24, 1898 | at Cow-buel[?] place | Accident | ||
infant child | infant child | January 10, 1892 | at Trenton | Accident | |
John Rufus Russell | October 10, 1884 | at John L Russell House | Accident | ||
Manerva Sanders | March 22, 1890 | at Webb S.C | Accident | tornado | |
Thomas Rosseter[?] | August 30, 1852 | at Hamburg SC | Accident |