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 201 - 250 of 524
Name Deceased Description Date Inquest Location Death Type Death Methodsort descending
A. G. Leek February 23, 1859 at A. G. Leeks Residence Other
Milton Barter[?] youth August 24, 1849 at Capt. Andrew J Hammonds Mills Accident
Benjamin Cockroft March 18, 1847 in the woods near the house of Beryman[?] Bledsoe Accident
James L. Hill January 10, 1867 at James L Hills Accident
Wallace E. Bland July 4, 1880 at Edgefield C. House Homicide
Ansabelle Brown October 21, 1866 near the Tambor[?] Soba[?] Rail Road Unknown
infant infant March 24, 1892 at Pinksville Homicide
Everett Hook July 18, 1891 at the saw Mill of M J Hook Accident
Cap Bryan February 25, 1893 at the plantation of Mrs Doziers Accident
Alexander P. Kennard February 16, 1847 in the District Natural Causes
J. J. Jennings November 16, 1860 at J J Jennings Suicide
John Young June 27, 1891 at the residence of John Young Accident
Amanda Glover August 30, 1892 at Mr Pofse[?] Lotts Plantation Natural Causes
William Bailey July 19, 1846 at the House of Samuel C Scott Homicide
Peter Negro man December 30, 1859 at the Plantation of Mr Wm Bunch Accident
Milledge Stuard October 8, 1881 at Mount [??] Yard Natural Causes
infant child infant child October 6, 1891 at her Residence Unknown
Eva Blocker February 11, 1893 at J. P. Wrights Plantation Accident
Levi H. McDaniel March 9, 1859 at or near the 17 mile Post on the Scotts Ferry Road Homicide
Joseph Moore Jr. April 19, 1846 at the house of Dr John D. Nicholson Natural Causes
William M. Tredaway March 27, 1851 at the house of William M Tredaway at Beach Island Homicide
William Samuel April 26, 1891 at Scima[?] Hill Church Homicide
Elmira Jackson May 18, 1884 at George Holingsworths House Accident
John slave September 27, 1863 at the residence of Johnson A Bland Accident
Richmond slave March 3, 1857 at V[?] Elbert Blands residence at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Elleck free boy December 13, 1866 at Johnathan Gregorys Accident
Willie Toney March 26, 1899 at Edgefield Court House Homicide
Lidda Hampton November 24, 1893 at A Derrecks Natural Causes
Tom Slave, old negro man January 12, 1853 near the residence of Harry Scott Accident
Edward Johnston December 26, 1892 at William Bushes Unknown
infant child infant child January 10, 1892 at Trenton Accident
Martin B. Elam January 28, 1851 at Mrs Mary Elams Other
John Whitlock boy September 8, 1869 at Grainteville Accident
Lesthia Ridlehouse[Ridlehover?] January 5, 1892 at the Residence of Mrs Edny Mary Accident
Berry Butler October 9, 1892 at J. H Lagroons[?] plantation Accident
Thomas Prince July 31, 1848 at the Joal of Said District Natural Causes
Hardy Boulware January 2, 1862 at Hardy Boulwares Homicide
Gus West October 11, 1883 at Jack Holms Unknown
J. M. Long October 10, 1891 at J. M. Longs Homicide
Wade Medlock July 12, 1894 at Benjamin Boatwrights Plantation Unknown
Milledge Fuller freedman February 18, 1867 at John Ransford plantation Accident
Henry slave, boy May 1, 1857 at Arthur Glovers House, Horns Creek Accident
Richard Stevens February 21, 1898 at Johnston S.C. Natural Causes
Jack Taylor April 11, 1892 at the house of Hal[?] Miles Natural Causes
H. P. Church December 27, 1842 in the house of C. H. Goodman in the Vilage of Edgefield Other
Sindy Brighthop August 21, 1898 on S.W. Gardners place Homicide
Elick Youngblood child March 21, 1881 at S[?] R Warren Homicide
Victor male slave April 24, 1859 at A. L. Dearing Plantation Natural Causes
Lawrence Frazier child January 14, 1895 at D.B. Holingsworths Accident
Apling negro man April 5, 1849 in the woods in said district near the Lexington line on a branch of McGier Creek Homicide

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