COFFIN POINT: The Strange Cases Of Ed McTeer, WitchDoctor Sheriff

by Baynard Woods

Ed McTeer was the sheriff of island-bound Beaufort County, South Carolina, for 36 years. The "Boy Sheriff" was only 22 when he was appointed to finish his dead father's term in 1926; he held the office until being voted out in 1962. During that time, McTeer dealt with syndicate rum-runners, voodoo-inspired murderers, mannered Southern politicians, civil rights pioneers, and local root doctors--and in doing so became more than an ordinary lawman. After an epic battle with the locally infamous Dr. Buzzard, McTeer, a white man, claimed he was the "last remaining tie to the true African Witchcraft." Using his own brand of voodoo to help govern the largely African American county, McTeer never had to carry a gun during his long tenure. After losing office, he became a full-time practitioner of the dark arts, revered by the community at large. Collector of curios, historian, poet, raconteur, and voodoo doctor, McTeer was most assuredly a man of his times and an American original. In Coffin Point , Baynard Woods mixes stories and first-hand accounts from McTeer's friends, enemies, and family with archival research and critical readings of McTeer's own books in order to conjure the charismatic sheriff and the bygone world he inhabited. The enthralling, sweeping story reads like an episodic novel, shedding new light on the relationship between power and belief, and demolishing the beleaguered stereotype of the rural Southern lawman.

232 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2011

Reviews

[Joni Graybill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, if there ever really was such a thing as Men of Letters or Hunters, Sheriff McTeer was certainly both. And he had the Colt collection to prove it!

Having lived in Beaufort County for over 20 years, I've heard little snatches of the tales and legends of the High Sheriff for most of my life - how he was single-highhandedly responsible for keeping the Klan out of Beaufort County, his infamous battle of white magic vs. black magic with Dr. Buzzard, the showdowns with moonshiners and rum-runners out on a Hilton Head Island I wouldn't even recognize. But, it wasn't until I read an article about Will Smith's production company turning the strange story of his life into a mini-series that I found out about this book. Admittedly, I was hoping there would be a lot more detail than there is - the book reads more like an outline for a bigger novel then a complete biography - but I imagine there is a good reason for this. The hoodoo practitioners and root doctors of the area keep their secrets and they aren't about to tell any outsider more than they think he or she needs to know.

Despite being short on details, this is still an interesting tableau of my little corner of the world back before it was as civilized and tranquil as it is these days.

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter, especially the depiction of Beaufort during the time period explored. The writing is a bit uneven, blending small snippets of poetic, descriptive pose with more mundane text. Although, it may be the best written and most objective source on McTeer, root medicine, and 20th century Beaufort.

[Carolina Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

review pending publication.

[Devin Mock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent subject matter but the book left something to be desired.

[Ayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining subject matter, but the author has an extremely inconsistent writing style.