Eli Pittman

In the early 20th century, Eli Pittman was a man who had worked to overcome a difficult start in life. Raised in the Dark Corner area of Glassy Mountain in upstate South Carolina, he established a life for his family in Greenville and became a deputy sheriff with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. At 35 years old, he was known in the community as a good and well-regarded officer. He and his wife were raising two children, one of whom was a son named Alvin.

In the spring of 1906, Deputy Pittman’s duties brought him into conflict with a man named Ben Wells. Wells, a mountaineer from west of Asheville, had recently been fired from his job as a night watchman at the American Spinning Company. Deputy Pittman suspected him of illegally selling liquor and intended to arrest him. Wells was aware of the deputy's scrutiny and had reportedly made threats against his life. The tension between the two men was set to come to a head on the last weekend of April.

In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, April 29, 1906, Deputy Pittman was searching for Wells to take him into custody. The search led him to the Sam Poe mill village near Greenville around 1:00 a.m. Instead of a straightforward arrest, the deputy walked into an ambush. Wells, lying in wait, opened fire on the approaching lawman with a handgun. The attack was sudden and brutal. Deputy Pittman was struck seven times. As the gunfight concluded, Ben Wells was shot and killed at the scene.

Deputy Pittman, however, was mortally wounded. One of the bullets had perforated his intestines in five places, causing catastrophic internal injuries. He was taken to his home, where he clung to life for the next 24 hours. Despite any medical care available at the time, his wounds were too severe. At 1:00 a.m. on Monday, April 30, 1906, Deputy Pittman died, leaving his wife and two young children behind. His burial was planned for the following day near Greenville, while Wells's remains were to be sent to Asheville for interment.

Because the sole suspect was killed at the scene, the case of Deputy Pittman's murder was legally closed. There would be no trial or conviction. For many decades that followed, the story of his sacrifice was not widely known, kept quiet even within his own family. His grandson, William "Cowboy" Pittman, never got to know the story of the grandfather he never met.

Decades later, the details of Deputy Pittman's line-of-duty death were uncovered by his descendants. His great-granddaughter, Shirley Sue Pittman Eskew, later reflected on his life, his hard upbringing, and the family's pride in his service and sacrifice. This rediscovery brought long-overdue honor to his name and ensured that his story would not be forgotten. His name is now listed among South Carolina's fallen officers, a permanent tribute to the lawman who was ambushed and killed while working to keep his community safe. The case is now considered resolved with the death of the primary suspect.