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 Typesort ascending Death Method
Edmond Sharpton December 20, 1866 at the House of Mrs J.P. Brewer Homicide pistol
John Williams August 21, 1898 at S H Nicholson Homicide stick
John M. Tillman May 6, 1860 at Mr J.A Tillmans Steam Mill Homicide
John McKinny September 26, 1894 at W P. Lipfords[?] Homicide
John Agner December 26, 1883 at Mr. John Agner's Homicide knife
Benjamin F. Jones March 24, 1845 at W B Griffins Homicide shotgun
Whit Terry October 19, 1894 J.K. Corleys Place Homicide
Isham Glover August 9, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
William Padgett February 22, 1894 at W.D. Readys plantation Homicide
Willie G. Harris March 25, 1897 at Edgefield CH Homicide
infant child infant child April 14, 1895 at Charley Moors Homicide
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Jacob Horn February 25, 1866 at the hous of Jacob Horns Homicide
Isham Glover August 10, 1892 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide
Peter negro man June 16, 1838 at a Mr. Azariah[?] Abneys Homicide stick
John Henry King October 29, 1865 in Hamburg Homicide
Henry Parks September 14, 1895 at Parksville Homicide
Lula Smith child June 22, 1894 at James A Satcher's Plantation Homicide
Henry male slave July 15, 1858 at Edgefield C.H. Homicide hickory stick
Peter White March 11, 1898 at Jacob White upon the Plantation Silvester Chipley Homicide
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Will Collens October 20, 1894 at Gaines SC Homicide
Elijah Reynolds April 11, 1878 at Johnstons Homicide pistol
John E. Elsmore November 28, 1869 at the house of John E. Elsmore Homicide pistol
Carey Ashley October 11, 1879 at J W Wises[?] plantation Homicide pistol
William Cloud July 8, 1851 at the Spaun[?] Hotel Homicide pistol
male baby male baby May 24, 1891 at the Saluda River Homicide
Charles slave, boy September 25, 1861 at Elijah Watson Homicide
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
Robert Neid free man of Colour August 26, 1847 at Vaudun[?] Factory Homicide dirk knife
Lizzy three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide axe
Eldred Glover March 2, 1852 at the house of John Doby Homicide pistol
Joe Weston January 31, 1895 in Edgefield County Homicide
Frank Holson freedman January 9, 1867 at Lee Holson Homicide pistol
Thomas Booth August 23, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide pistol
Aaron slave December 5, 1852 at A. Bushnells Shop Homicide chisel
Nelson Smith freedman, boy October 4, 1866 at Andrew Warts Homicide
Johnson Peterson March 9, 1892 at Deny[?] S.C. Homicide pistol
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Stephen Stalmaker August 30, 1850 at J.M.C. Freeland's Homicide plank
Riller three negro children October 2, 1846 at the house of Philip Brogden Homicide
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Dave Parkman December 16, 1897 at Cheatham place Homicide pistol
Henry Mobley December 11, 1899 at Johnston Homicide pistol
William Martin May 24, 1891 on the premises of W. E. Friday Homicide pistol
Lee Ryan September 27, 1877 at the plantation of Abram F Broadwater Homicide iron instrument
Rose negro woman Slave March 14, 1846 at Michael Longs Homicide
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
W. Brooker Toney August 12, 1878 at E. C. House Homicide pistol
Lucious Perry November 8, 1891 at the plantation of Ben Boatwright Homicide

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