The friendship that built Savannah: Oglethorpe and Chief Tomochichi

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this year, Savannah’s story reminds us that America’s roots stretch back even further.

Georgia’s First City was founded nearly 300 years ago, but its survival and success depended on a remarkable friendship that helped shape the city from its very beginning.

Savannah was founded on February 1, 1733, when General James Oglethorpe and the first group of Georgia colonists landed at Yamacraw Bluff. Within an hour of their arrival, members of the Yamacraw tribe — including their leader, Chief Tomochichi — walked down from their nearby village to greet the newcomers.

Rather than meeting the colonists with hostility, Chief Tomochichi chose diplomacy.

Historian T.C. Michaels of Genteel & Bard explains that Tomochichi was a wise leader who understood the importance of alliance. Instead of bloodshed or war, he leveraged his people’s position to form a partnership with Oglethorpe. The two men quickly developed a mutual respect that grew into a lasting friendship.

Chief Tomochichi provided land for the settlement of Savannah and worked closely with Oglethorpe to establish a strong diplomatic relationship between the Yamacraw people and the English colonists. Their bond was so strong that Tomochichi later traveled with Oglethorpe to England, where he met with King George to advocate for his people.

During those negotiations, Tomochichi focused on what mattered most: protection for his tribe, access to weapons and medicine, and the ability to coexist peacefully on their land. According to Michaels, the two leaders saw eye to eye, making their partnership a perfect match that benefited both sides.

That relationship endured even after Tomochichi’s death.

Chief Tomochichi died in 1739 and was buried with great honor in what is now Wright Square. James Oglethorpe himself served as a pallbearer at the funeral, which was described as a king’s burial — a powerful testament to the respect Tomochichi earned among the English settlers.

However, more than 150 years later, Tomochichi’s gravesite was disturbed to make room for a monument honoring William Washington Gordon, the pioneer of Georgia’s first railroad. The decision sparked controversy, particularly within the Gordon family. Nellie Gordon, the mother of Juliette Gordon Low, opposed the move and believed the chief deserved recognition.

Although the monument was ultimately built, Nellie Gordon took action to honor Tomochichi’s legacy. In 1899, she worked with the Colonial Dames of Georgia to dedicate a large granite boulder with a commemorative plaque in Wright Square. The stone, brought from Stone Mountain outside Atlanta, remains there today — a significant and costly tribute symbolizing Tomochichi’s enduring impact on Savannah.

Chief Tomochichi is still buried beneath the square, at the heart of the city he helped make possible.

Today, his legacy continues to be honored and reenacted throughout Savannah, serving as a lasting symbol of unity, strength, and mutual respect — values that laid the foundation for Georgia’s First City and continue to define it centuries later.