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 101 - 150 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Fed Martin convict September 1, 1895 at Poor House and CH Unknown
Henry Jones September 21, 1855 Accident
Ann Kimball September 4, 1895 at China grove church Homicide
Duke negro man March 25, 1855 near Dennis Carpenters Accident
James Frazier Babie October 24, 1890 at D. B Hollingworth Accident
Ernest Bean April 6, 1884 at the Mill of B[?] Hill Accident
Ben Shubrick col December 24, 1869 at Negro heade Lane Natural Causes
Daniel slave, boy April 28, 1859 at L. Halls Tisery[?] Suicide
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Flora Harrison November 4, 1890 at Liberty Hill Homicide
Eldrige Padgett February 9, 1859 at Eidson Padgetts Accident
Tephius[?] Cornwall January 14, 1845 on one of the Public Streets of the Town of Hamburg Natural Causes
William White December 10, 1898 at Savanah River Accident
Lizza colered woman October 7, 1866 at the house of Thomas S. Miller Natural Causes
Ed Glover July 8, 1882 at Poore House Accident
John Hester May 13, 1846 at Hamburg in the shop of J.J. Kenedy Accident
Milledge Denny colored child June 23, 1868 at Rev. H.T. Baitleys Homicide
infant, child infant, child November 29, 1894 at the plantation of J. P. Roton Natural Causes
Abram slave October 8, 1860 at the Residence of H. B. Raborns Natural Causes
E. M. Whatley August 31, 1893 at E M Whatley's Suicide
Mary Gillam January 1, 1891 at Mrs Francis Wrights Plantation Natural Causes
infant child infant child September 15, 1861 at the residence of Mrs Margret Willis Accident
Edmond Smallwood October 19, 1892 at E. C. Ridgells Plantation Natural Causes
John Matthews October 13, 1829 at the house of William Adams Other
A. P. Shultz January 9, 1850 at or near Solomon Clickleys[?] Unknown
Larrence Valentine December 28, 1893 at Mt[?] Willing Accident
Hampton Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
Wesley male slave, child October 5, 1857 at the residence of Sophia A Tilman Homicide
Luther Harris May 26, 1899 at the plantation of George F Towns Homicide
Mary Bright Hanpt[?] October 6, 1881 at Bright Hanpt[?] Unknown
Nancy Slave June 19, 1847 at the house of Mrs G. Rily's Suicide
Mary Slave May 17, 1847 at the Plantation of A. Perrin Homicide
Dave Gillam August 25, 1892 at the house of Cal Smiths Homicide
infant child infant child September 9, 1891 at Wards Natural Causes
Mike negro man September 13, 1844 at Dr John D. Nicholsons Mill Accident
B. J. Mims January 20, 1885 at the Residence of Capt B J Mims Natural Causes
Charles M. Creswell August 5, 1869 at Edgefield CH Homicide
Tom negro slave December 18, 1858 at Chlo Watsons Homicide
Alice Adkinson October 18, 1898 at Republican Church Homicide
Harry negro boy September 9, 1858 at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks Accident
Charles negro man February 27, 1850 at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River Accident
John David Twiggs September 15, 1864 in Hamburg Homicide
Simon C. Wood[?] December 26, 1857 at Wm Calelaziers[?] Natural Causes
Nancy Weaver December 20, 1893 at Edgefield Court House Accident
Matt Loyd February 24, 1891 at Mr. Carmal cemetary near the Old Wills Natural Causes
Joseph Powel August 18, 1879 at [??] Accident
Mahlon Jones December 25, 1891 at Landrams Farm Homicide
William C. Goff May 7, 1865 at Bethany Church Accident
James Mitchell February 18, 1879 at L D Laudrums Natural Causes
white man white man October 21, 1849 in the woods near Holsonbakers[?] old fields Natural Causes

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