Tenah Suckers Hart, a former slave of General James Williams of the Revolution lived with the Williams family for five generations. She was 102 years old when she died at "Redwood Plantation." Her death certificate says she was about 106 years old. Sadly, her death was caused by burns she suffered when her clothing caught fire while she was sitting too close to a stove. She was born at "Slate Hill" plantation, home of the Williams family. When their daughter, Lucy Ann Williams married the Honorable John S. Pendleton, Tenah traveled to Redwood Plantation in 1839 with John and his wife and their adopted son, George M. Williams. Tenah nursed little George until he was three years old. She was also the family cook and amazing as it seems, she cooked for this family, including George, when he married, for over 76 years. She cooked dinner for George when he brought his bride to "Redwood" in 1860 and again, cooked dinner when George and his wife celebrated their golden anniversary fifty years later! Imagine what a lady she was. During the Civil War she took in clothes to launder from Union soldiers who were camped on the grounds of "Redwood." In doing so she was paid with meat and groceries which she used to cook meals for the family in the house where there was little food. Her mother, Judy, was born during the voyage on a slave ship from Guinea, Africa, to Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is when Tenah, her mother and grandmother, Lucy, were purchased by General James Williams. Thank goodness they were purchased together. Her grandmother could never master speaking English so she was permitted to run a little ferry boat on the Rapidan River, which she did successfully. Tenah met and fell in love with another slave named Tazwell Hart and they were married by Marse Phil with an Episcopal service at "Redwood." She entered the "old servants" contest in Washington, D.C., and did not win because she did not live in that district, if she had, she definitely would have won the contest. They honored her with a special certificate for 102 years with the same family. Impossible to imagine being with the same family for over a century.
This is written to celebrate the life of an amazing, extraordinary woman, courageous and kind.