The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-27
TOM-O-CHI-CHFS MEMORIAL.
COLONIAL DANES MONUMENT TO
THE NOBLE INDIAN.

VIII BE Unveiled This AfternOOn-A
Tardy Tribute 90 the Memory OF
the OLD Chieftain Who Befriended
Savannah in the Days of Her In
fancy and Secured for the Colony
the Friendship of the Indians-His
Visit to England with OglethOrpe
and His Reception There by Roy
aIty-Was Buried in the Center of
the Town Near Where His Memoir
iaI Now Stands.
The unwilling of the memorial to Tomo-
chichi, the Indian chieftain, who was the
firm and fast friend of Oglethorpe and
the infant colony Of Georgia, viii take
place this afternoon at O'Clock. The
monument is already in position in Wright
square, in which history locates beyond
doubt the burial place of the chieftain.
The unwilling address will be delivered
BY Hon Walter G. Charlton. whost fitness
for this honorable duty is well recognized.
Mr.. Charlton is not only an eloquent ora
tor but has always taken a great interest
IN the colonial history of Georgia. and
especially in the services which Tomo-
chiohi rendered to the colony, The cree
ton of a monument to the chieftain in the
square in which he is buried is a purpose
which has long been near to the heart of
Mr. Charlton.
The unwilling will be attended by the
ladies' of the Georgia Society of Colonial
Danes, to whom the credit is due for the
erection of the monument, the members
of the Georgia Society of Colonial Wars,
the members of the societies of the Sons
of the Revolution and the Daughters of
the Revolution, the Mayor and aldermen,
the County Commissioners, the members of
judges of the City, Superior and Ordinary s
Courts. Chairs will be provided for the la
dies, and space near the monument Will
probably be roped in.
Mr.. Charlton, in his address, will doubt
less give a fun and of course, an interest
ing account of Tomochichi and his connec-
ton with the colony of Georgia A brief
account of the chieftain and the part
which he played in the early history of
the colony may not be amiss in this con-
nection.
Little is known of the history of the
u,
vious to the arrival of the co.onists. When
Oglethorpe and his small party of colon
lists arrived at Savannah in 1898, Tomochl-
chi was then 81 years of age. During the
six years which he continued 20 live he
was of the greatest service 20 the colony
Tomochichi was the head of a small tribe
of Indians, located here and known as the
Yamacraws. At that time the powerful
confederacy of the Creek Indians con-
trolled all of Lower Georgia and large
part of Florida. The Creeks were divjd-
ed into the Upper and Lower Creeks. the
latter being practically a nation to them
selves and consisting of eight or ten tribes
o. towns, comprising several different In
dian nationalities and speaking several
different languages. The Creeks were the
dominant tribe of the confederacy. There
is some ground to believe that Savannah
obtained its name from This people. a tribe
of the Indians known as the Savanntcs
or Savannahs having been located at one
time on the west bank of the river. which
was then known as the Savannah river.
and had been so known for some time pre-
viously, when Oglethorpe arrived and gave
the name of the river to the city which
he founded.