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During the 1970s, Nancy Rhyne spent time at Hampton Plantation with Sue and her sons Will and Prince. Relying on taped interviews from those conversations, and numerous written and oral sources, Nancy presents in the pages of this book a colorful account of plantation life along the South Santee River. This is a fascinating and colorful account of Sue Alston, the daughter of emancipated slaves who spent her life on Hampton Plantation the early 1800s. Covering nearly a century of history, Nancy lets the voice of Sue Alston takes you on a journey through the lives of those who called the Hampton mansion home. Join Sue and Nancy as they travel back in time and attend Charleston horse races with the Middletons' and the Draytons'. Shop for ball gowns along King Street with the Horry ladies. Listen in on conversations between President George Washington and Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Follow John Henry Rutledge as he hunts wild boar in the river delta surrounding Hampton Plantation. You will think you are right there. You'll swear you can smell the enticing aromas coming from the outside-the-house kitchen as southern dishes cook over the open fire. Through this narrative, you will witness life on Hampton Plantation when it was a virtual "town" to itself. John Henry Rutledge took his own life in an upstairs room in the Hampton mansion in 1830. His body was buried by the back steps of the home, but many claim his spirit never left the upstairs room. Sue and Nancy give us a riveting account of the life of this avid outdoorsman and carry us through the events leading up to his death...The rocking chair in which John Henry Rutledge died was said to continue to rock until the day it was removed from Hampton Plantation House.
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