Colonel William Bull

200 years after the founding of Savannah, in 1933, the Mayor of Savannah, Thomas Gamble, dedicated a sundial in Johnson Square to Colonel William Bull, a man whose contributions to the development of our city from the very first day of its founding remain visible today. As a master surveyor, William Bull helped James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of the Colony of Georgia, choose the location of Yamacraw Bluff as  the location of Savannah, which became the first city of Georgia.

Opening his speech in praise of William Bull, Mayor Gamble said "in accepting for the City of Savannah this beautiful memorial sundial there has been assigned to me the pleasant task of telling the story of a remarkable character in our Southern colonial history whose fame is intimately associated with the early story of our sister state of South Carolina, but who has, nevertheless, left an indelible impressible on the story of Savannah, and who name and services to the Georgia colony and perpetuated in our Bull Street, an avenue acclaimed by all visitors as one of the most beautiful in the country."

Today the sundial in Johnson Square, and to a much greater degree, Bull Street itself, remind us of the legacy of the master surveyor from neighboring South Carolina, who became a trusted friend of Oglethorpe and carefully implement his detailed plans for a city around a series of squares

Family

William Bull was the son of Stephen Bull, a distinguished Englishman who was among the colonists who landed on the west bank of the Ashley River in 1669 and established Charles Town, in honor of King Charles II of England. Stephen Bull worked for Lord Ashley, a prominent 17th century English politician and one of the Proprietors of the colony of South Carolina. Stephen served as deputy to the Proprietors on and off for over a quarter of a century. Through this service, he grew more influential in South Carolina.

In 1672, Stephen Bull was elected to the colonial parliament and was later Surveyor General of South Carolina. His position of prominence allowed him to accumulate large tracts of land in South Carolina and he built his home at Ashley Hall Plantation where his son, William, was born in 1683. From his father, young William learned the surveying and map-making skills that would empower him to follow in his father’s footsteps to himself become Surveyor General of South Carolina.

William Bull married Mary Quintyne and the couple had 5 children, 2 sons and 3 daughters.

Politics

Being born into a well-to-do family opened many doors for William Bull.  While still in his early 20s, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Commons. He was appointed by the King of England to manage trade with the Indians, along with two other men.

Relationship with the Indians

Tasked with improving trade relations with the Indians, William Bull traveled extensively meeting different tribes. However, not all Indians wanted friendly relations. A series of wars between colonists of South Carolina and Indians broke out, later called the Tuscaroa and Yemassee wars. Colonel Bull led troops in both campaigns.

His skills helped maintain friendly relationships with other Indian groups. Many believe William Bull had possibly met Tomochichi, leader of a band of Yamacraw Indians, prior to the day he and General Oglethorpe arrived at Yamacraw Bluff, as South Carolina officials were aware they were living near the bluff overlooking the Savannah River. Bull would have known Tomochichi's group of about 200 Indians were living there, as the land was taken from the Colony of South Carolina and set aside for the Colony of Georgia.

Arrival of Oglethorpe & Establishing Savannah

On January 24, 1733, William Bull accompanied South Carolina Governor Robert Johnson to meet James Edward Oglethorpe, who had just arrived on a transatlantic voyage with colonists aboard the Anne.  Oglethorpe was tasked with establishing the 13th English Colony of Georgia. The South Carolina colonists were happy that a new colony would be established between them and the hostile Spanish colony of Florida and as the most knowledgable surveyor of land, William Bull was to assist Oglethorpe in choosing a site for his settlement.

Perhaps threat of attacks from the south led to Oglethorpe and William Bull choosing Yamacraw Bluff as the site for Savannah. With its location 17 miles inland from the ocean and its height above the Savannah River, Yamacraw Bluff provided a site that would allow advance warning of an attack and a strong defensive position. History doesn't tell us if William Bull already had decided to recommend Yamacraw Bluff as the site of the new settlement or if he and Oglethorpe came to that decision together while traveling on the river. Regardless, the decision provided to be a good one as the high bluff provided additional protection and Tomochichi and his band of Indians were friendly and hospitable to the English colonists.

In the early days of Savannah, four squares were laid out and William Bull, as surveyor, chose exactly where they would be.  While they had different names at the time, those four original squares are Ellis Square, Johnson Square, Telfair Square and Wright Square.

Legacy of William Bull

In his speech that February day in 1933, Mayor Gamble went on to say "it is gratifying to our local pride to know that the man who, in collaboration with James Edward Oglethorpe, planned our city, and with his surveyor's instruments laid out the old section, and gave the lines on which the subsequent growth of the city has developed, was himself an American by birth and a notable man throughout his life."

Each year, the legacy of Colonel William Bull is enjoyed by millions of visitors who enjoy the Squares of Savannah - our city's Crown Jewels -- the most popular ones of which are along Bull Street.