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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Young | June 27, 1891 | at the residence of John Young | Accident | ||
John Shumport[?] | November 7, 1851 | at John Shumports[?] | Accident | ||
Richard J. Barton | December 28, 1866 | at Mrs Lucinda Bartons | Accident | ||
Richard | negro boy Slave | September 9, 1850 | at Thomas Garretts | Accident | machinery |
Mary Blocker | December 6, 1894 | at R H Parks | Accident | strychnine | |
James L. Hill | January 10, 1867 | at James L Hills | Accident | ||
Charles | negro man | February 27, 1850 | at Scotts Shoals on Savannah River | Accident | |
Isah Zimmerman | December 26, 1881 | at the Residence of W F Ste[?]eies | Accident | pistol | |
Duke | negro man | March 25, 1855 | near Dennis Carpenters | Accident | |
Auson Peeler | July 25, 1868 | near Kalmia[?] Mills | Accident | horse | |
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] | January 5, 1892 | at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary | Accident | ||
Gertrude | infant child | December 1, 1891 | at Edgfield Court house | Accident | |
Billy | November 28, 1857 | at the South Carolina Rail Road | Accident | wagon | |
Ryal | Negro Slave | July 28, 1851 | at Mr Thos McKies Batteau landing on Big Stephen's Creek | Accident | |
Uriah Koon | October 16, 1847 | at the house of Col John Hunt | Accident | wagon | |
William H Maharey | May 25, 1863 | at Haslin Factory on the Procelian Manufacturing Company | Accident | ||
Infant Boy Child | Infant Boy Child | June 18, 1883 | at Marsh Grobe Yard | Accident | |
Lawrence Frazier | child | January 14, 1895 | at D.B. Holingsworths | Accident | |
Harry | negro boy | September 9, 1858 | at the residence of the Rev. J. L. Brooks | Accident | |
Henry | negro man Slave | August 21, 1850 | at New Savannah in beach Island | Accident | |
William C. Goff | May 7, 1865 | at Bethany Church | Accident | ||
Everett Hook | July 18, 1891 | at the saw Mill of M J Hook | Accident | ||
Henry Goodman | May 4, 1851 | at or near to William H Adams on little horse Creek | Accident | ||
Joseph Jay | October 4, 1860 | at Joseph Jays | Accident | horse | |
Mary | female Slave | January 13, 1853 | at Isaac Bowles[?] | Accident | |
Charles | negro boy | November 14, 1842 | On Mr Thos Oliver's Plantation, at or near Said Oliver's residence | Accident | |
Nancy Weaver | December 20, 1893 | at Edgefield Court House | Accident | ||
Emanuel Johnson | October 7, 1893 | at Wards | Accident | train | |
Ernest Bean | April 6, 1884 | at the Mill of B[?] Hill | Accident | ||
Hugh Wetherford | June 25, 1895 | at Edgefield CH | Accident | train | |
Abram | man slave | August 17, 1860 | at the Residence of Gen[?] Jas B. Griffin | Accident | snake |
Berry Butler | October 9, 1892 | at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation | Accident | ||
Ed Glover | July 8, 1882 | at Poore House | Accident | ||
George Low | col | June 6, 1869 | at Sand Bar Ferry | Accident | stems of yellow jasmine |
infant child | infant child | January 10, 1892 | at Trenton | Accident | |
Charles | negro boy | March 7, 1857 | at Archy Clark residence | Accident | |
J. F. Styron | April 21, 1891 | at residence of J. F. Styron[?] | Accident | ||
Manerva Sanders | March 22, 1890 | at Webb S.C | Accident | tornado | |
Eldrige Padgett | February 9, 1859 | at Eidson Padgetts | Accident | ||
Adam | negro man Slave, boy | August 3, 1850 | at Vaucluse Factory | Accident | |
Edinborough Ryan | December 30, 1882 | at Mrs D. L Bussy Plantation | Accident | ||
Edward Horton | August 7, 1879 | near Wesley Barrs[?] | Accident | sunstroke | |
Sam | Slave | June 14, 1858 | at Henry Spiers[?] | Accident | |
infant | infant | December 15, 1892 | at Mr. Pleasant Grave Yard | Accident | |
Richard Mims | August 1, 1899 | at the plantation of Mrs. H. Carter | Accident | ||
Willie Glover | July 26, 1892 | at Lark Glovers Plantation | Accident | mule | |
Sherod Holms | October 10, 1884 | at Sherod Holms House | Accident | horse | |
Clem | slave, boy | October 3, 1858 | at Tabitha Abney's | Accident | |
William Lundy | August 28, 1846 | at house of John Rainsford | Accident | ||
Louisa | slaves | March 4, 1860 | at the mill Pond of W. Glover on mill Creek | Accident | boat |