Tomochichi, the leader of the Yamacraw Indians, could not speak English. His interpreter was Mary Musgrove, whose husband was a trader among white settlers and had learned the language in South Carolina. Charleston, founded about 1640, undoubtedly produced white traders amongst the Indians. The Yamacraws had some knowledge of the English language. One might reflect that the Creek Nation, who identified its lineage to Oglethorpe as originating from the Mayans, had used its calendar and other facets of the civilization. A document written by the Yamacraws was sent to England, where it was displayed in Clarence House for many years. It is a known fact that many Georgia and South Carolina Creek Indians carry a trace of the Maya DNA!
The friendly Indians were friendly with the new settlers. John Wesley, the Methodist minister who enthusiastically spoke of “saving the savages” while on his voyage to the new colony, was allowed to preach the gospel in the village at Yamacraw Bluff.
It was widely known that Chief Tomochichi was a good friend of James Edward Oglethorpe and desired to be buried in Wright Square (formerly Percival Square). A grand procession of Indians accompanied the ninety-five-year-old chief to the site and placed a tomahawk and other personal items in the grave. His grave was marked with a pyramid of stones. In later years, a monument of William Washington Gordon was placed in the center of Wright Square. During the late 1880s, when newspaper accounts revealed that citizens doubted the actual location of Tomochichi ‘s grave, the marker stones were located, and the site was dug up, showing some Indian relics.
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