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 151 - 200 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
Belaus[Velaus?] slave, boy March 30, 1863 at Robert Smiths Accident
B. C. Bryan March 16, 1884 at B C Bryan Residence Natural Causes
Albert Jones April 29, 1885 at Pickens Reynolds house Homicide
J. D. Wells December 14, 1890 at Edgefield C.H. Natural Causes
Pete slave October 31, 1864 at Liberty hill Unknown
Thomas child of Thomas M Chandler September 11, 1850 at Thos M. Chandler's house, and at the old Pottery Accident
infant male child infant male child January 3, 1894 in Edgefield County Natural Causes
Julia Banks September 4, 1891 at Mr Banks Plantation Natural Causes
James Leppard February 13, 1893 at F. M. Leppards Natural Causes
Seware[?] Stuart November 4, 1893 at J.[?] E. Griffiths Accident
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Edward slave, boy October 22, 1857 at the residence of Wm Miller Natural Causes
infant child infant child December 14, 1877 at Dr. K N Hudsons plantation Homicide
David West boy January 30, 1862 at Graniteville Accident
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Minda negro girl August 17, 1851 at Mr Geo Robinsons Unknown
Joseph Riddle April 10, 1856 at Hamburg Homicide
Fannie Patton November 18, 1898 at Francis Williams house Accident
Willis Asbell December 7, 1877 at Ridge Spring Homicide
Reubin Weaver December 28, 1895 at Elijah Boatwrights Plantation Natural Causes
Violet negro woman (slave) March 25, 1844 at John Dinkinses Suicide
Kizziah[?] slave, servant March 11, 1860 at the residence of Mr M Lanham Natural Causes
Solomon Ellenberg February 18, 1859 near the Residence of G.M. Ouzts[?] Suicide
Ras slave December 6, 1850 at D Dennys Mill Suicide
Joshua negro man slave June 26, 1860 at Harmon Gallman Unknown
Allen Holmes March 4, 1882 at Oscar Seigler Residence Homicide
Lidia Watson January 26, 1894 at J E Macks Accident
Robert Reynolds July 30, 1892 at J.W. Reynolds Plantation Accident
James Perry December 27, 1894 at Mt Enon Church Accident
Charly Washington boy November 22, 1891 at the house of George Washington near Bauknights ferry Accident
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Henry Padget freedman November 14, 1866 at Wm Padgets premises on Clouds Creek Homicide
Infant Boy Child Colored Infant Boy Child Colored February 15, 1883 at the residence of Charles Coleman Unknown
Richard J. Barton December 28, 1866 at Mrs Lucinda Bartons Accident
George Robinson January 12, 1892 at the plantation of E. B. Davis Natural Causes
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Clem slave, boy October 3, 1858 at Tabitha Abney's Accident
Pompy Robinson November 1, 1898 at Norris Place Natural Causes
Bartly negro man January 16, 1846 in the woods near the plantation of Dr Wm M Bent Unknown
Ned Dozier September 27, 1893 at MJ Holsteins Homicide
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Harriet negro woman July 20, 1859 at the residence of JB Rease Natural Causes
Curry slave March 17, 1856 at Mrs Elizabeth Middletons Plantation Accident
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
Unknown August 30, 1866 at Fosity[?] Creek ford Unknown
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
Jim Brown Child April 19, 1882 on Jasper Talbert Premises Unknown
Susan Medlock April 7, 1894 at Johnston Homicide
Learma Butler November 7, 1890 at W.H. Folks plantation Natural Causes

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