Chief Bull Explained

Bull
Tribe:Lenape
Nicknames:Captain Bull
Known For:Pontiac's War
Parents:Teedyuscung

Bull, often known as Captain Bull, was a son of the Lenape chief Teedyuscung.

Biography

As with his father, Bull took an active role in fighting during Pontiac's Rebellion, continuing following Teedyuscungs' death. Bull and his men were responsible for a number of frontier raids in the late Summer of 1763 through into the Winter, targeting the Wyoming Valley. His encampment along the Susquehanna River was discovered on the evening of 26 February 1764 and, under orders from Sir William Johnson, was surrounded in the morning by an allied Indian party.[1] Bull was among forty-one prisoners taken, and was taken as a prisoner-of-war to New York where he remained for the rest of the conflict. In September 1764 a number of civilian hostages taken the previous year were released to Johnson.[2]

Bull was released in 1768 on condition of exile, and settled on the Virginia frontiers. In the following decade, Virginia became the site of intensifying frontier conflict between settlers and Shawnee raiding parties. Following a raid in 1772, Bull was falsely implicated and his village razed in retaliation.[3]

Bull was part of the Moravian Church.

References

  1. News: Extract of a Letter from Sir William Johnson, dated at Johnson-hall, March 2, 1764 . Caledonian Mercury. 2 October 1875 . 10 July 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  2. News: From the London Papers, Oct. 25 . Caledonian Mercury. 29 October 1764. 10 July 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  3. Web site: Captain Bull . West Virginia Encyclopedia . 2023-07-06.