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LIFE AND BATTLES 
 
 OP 
 
 YANKEE SULLIYAN, 
 
 EMBEACING FULL AND ACCURATE REPORTS 
 
 OF HIS 
 
 HAMMER LANE, 
 
 TOM SECOR, 
 
 HARRY BELL, 
 
 BOB GAUNT, 
 
 TOM HYER, 
 
 JOHNMORRISEY, 
 
 Together with, a Synopsis of his Minor Battles from his first Appear- 
 ance in the Prize King until his Retirement. 
 
 ALSO, THE BATTLES BETWEEN" 
 
 TOM HYER AND COUNTRY M'CLEESTER, 
 CHRISS. LILLY AND TOM M'COY, 
 GEORGE KENSETT AND NED HAMMOND, 
 
 ALF. WALKER & JOE HOILES, tlie "Spider.' 
 
 « ♦ » 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 A. WINCH, 320 CHESNUT STREET. 
 
 A- 
 

 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by 
 
 W. H. TRENT, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the United States for the Southern District of New York 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It is not actually necessary to write 
 a preface to a work of this description ; 
 but, in offering to the public a collec- 
 tion of the various battles fought by 
 Mr. Sullivan, we wish to add a few 
 words in reference to the capabilities of 
 one of the greatest pugilists of this or 
 any other country. As a skillful boxer, 
 as a hard-hitter, and as a tactician of 
 the first order, Mr. Sullivan has no su- 
 perior. He makes his calculations for 
 a battle with a coolness and correct 
 judgment seldom equaled, never sur- 
 passed ; and the success invariably at- 
 tending him in his contests is sufficient 
 proof that his discrimination and keen 
 perception have been carefully and sys- 
 tematically studied. No man was ever 
 more safe to back than Sullivan, and 
 those who ventured their money, did so 
 with a perfect knowledge that, if they 
 lost, it would not be for want of exer- 
 tion in their man, for as long as there 
 was the shadow of a chance left him, 
 Sullivan would use his utmost endea- 
 vors to obtain the victory. In but one 
 instance did he suffer defeat, and that 
 was an honorable defeat — for, when we 
 
 look at the great disparity in the size as 
 well as the weight of the men, (Hyer 
 and Sullivan,) it is really astonishing 
 how he withstood the great odds against 
 him as long and as courageously as he 
 did, for the only clean knock-down blow 
 in that great battle was given by Sulli- 
 van. It cannot be said of Sullivan that 
 he ever " crossed " a battle, although 
 he has had opportunities to do so, 
 whereby he could have realised a hand- 
 some sum of money— he preferred to 
 achieve a reputation for honest dealing 
 in the prize ring, as well as for science 
 and strength. He could always find 
 backers to any amount, no matter who 
 his competitor should be. In his battle 
 with Morrissey, no one can deny that 
 Sullivan was the victor, although the 
 decision of the Referee lost him the mo- 
 ney. That the decision was erroneous, 
 according to the Rules of the Ring, ad- 
 mits of no question. 
 
 With these few remarks, we offer this 
 work to the public, hoping it may meet 
 with their approbation and encourag|fe- 
 
 ment. 
 
 The Editor. 
 
LIFE AND BATTLES 
 
 OP 
 
 YANKEE SULLIYAN. 
 
 "A Coward— A man incapable either 
 jf defending or of revenging himself, 
 evidently wants one of the most essen- 
 tial parts of the character of a man. He 
 is as much mutilated and deformed in 
 mind as another in his hody, who is 
 either deprived of some of its most es- 
 sential members, or has lost the use of 
 them."' — Wealth, of Nations. 
 
 In commencing our sketch of the Life 
 and Battles in the Prize Ring, of Yankee 
 Sullivan, as he is familiarly called, we 
 do so, under the impression that it is 
 called for at the present time by the 
 sporting world, and by the fistic com- 
 munity more particularly, inasmuch as 
 the late battle at Boston Corners, in 
 which Sullivan was declared by the 
 Referee to have lost the fight, finished 
 his career in the Prize Ring, and en- 
 ables us to give an outline of his first 
 battles in England and Ireland, which 
 were not considert^d of much importance 
 at the period in which they were fought? 
 as well as a full and detailed account 
 of those Extraordinary Contests in Eng- 
 land and in this country, which have 
 rendered his name and abilities as a 
 scientific pugilist familiar and famous 
 throughout the entire sporting world. 
 
 James Sullivan, according to authen- 
 tic information, was born on the 12th of 
 April, 1813, at Banden, near Cork, 
 Ireland, and is at this time nearly 41 
 years of age. During his boyish days 
 he was always considered at the "head 
 of the heap," having many a turn-up 
 with his play-fellows, and generally 
 came out of the muss "right side up with 
 care." As he advanced in years, and 
 began to develope more than common 
 activity, strength and muscle, he was 
 rather feared by his companions, who 
 looked upon him as their leader ; and if 
 any one of the "party" was not able to 
 "stand his hand" against any of the 
 members of other parties, Jim was al- 
 ways ready "to take it up," and soon 
 finished the work cut out for him. It 
 must not be supposed that young Sulli- 
 van always escaped punishment, or 
 that he "came out as sound as he went 
 in." In many instances he was severely 
 bruised, but did not seem to care for 
 hard knocks, and went in with a determi- 
 nation to "stand the storm, and win the 
 fight." 
 
 His numerous successes, as a natural 
 consequence, made him many enemies, 
 
10 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 and he was on several occasions way- 
 laid by these enemies, and severely beat- 
 en. It was owing to one of these 
 scrapes that he challenged to a ring fight 
 a young fellow named Stewart. The 
 latter, who was somewhat skilled in the 
 use of his " bunch of fives," thinking he 
 had an easy thing of it, as Sullivan had 
 never before fought a regular prize fight, 
 accepted Sullivan's challenge with the 
 greatest readiness, and ofiered to make 
 the stakes jC12 a side. Some of the 
 knowing ones of the vicinity in which 
 Sullivan was brought up, having wit- 
 nessed on different occasions the natural 
 scientific abilities displayed by young 
 Sullivan, and having also ascertained 
 his powers of endurance, determined to 
 back him against his more confident and 
 practised adversary, and at the time ap- 
 pointed for depositing the stakes, Sulli- 
 van was on hand, with his money in 
 hand ; and his opponent, as he saw Sul- 
 livan put up his stake, and covered it 
 with his own, seemed to think, as he 
 gazed upon the " pile," that it was " all 
 his own." Sullivan, however, had his 
 own suspicions about " that little pool," 
 and intimated to his opponent that he 
 " could have it as soon as he had won 
 it !" However, matters were arranged 
 for the contest, the seconds, referee, &c., 
 appointed. The preliminaries being 
 settled, each man went into training for 
 a short time, and as the day appointed 
 for the contest drew nigh, the excite- 
 ment became greater. On the day of 
 battle, quite an assemblage of the pugi- 
 listic fraternity were present, and betting 
 was quite brisk, the odds being upon 
 Stewart. Without going into further 
 details of the battle, it is only necessary 
 to say that Sullivan proved so quick in 
 his movements, as to baffle the tremen- 
 dous efibrts made by his opponent to 
 
 win the fight, and after a sharp contest 
 of 2 hours and 20 minutes, Sullivan was 
 declared the victor, and the stakes were 
 given up to him on the succeeding day. 
 The success of Sullivan in this affair 
 caused him to be looked upon with jeal- 
 ousy by several members of the profes- 
 sion, and it was not long before he was 
 challenged by Dick Trainor, who was 
 considered, at that time, and in that lo- 
 cality, a " hard knot," and a " tough one 
 to tackle on to." The friends of Sulli- 
 van, elated with his success overStewart, 
 and fully impressed with the idea that 
 he was bound to " make his mark in the 
 world," were nothing lothe to take up 
 the challenge, and on communicating 
 with Sullivan in reference to the match, 
 he instantly said he was ready to meet 
 Trainor at any time he choose to desig- 
 nate. A meeting took place, and' a 
 match was made between Sullivan and 
 Trainor, to fight for £50 a side. The 
 first deposit of £10 a side was made, 
 and at four subsequent meetings the 
 balance of the JC50 a side was deposited. 
 As this was a good sum, and as both 
 men were anxious to " finger the depos- 
 its," each one went into exercise, and 
 under the assistance of their respective 
 friends, with whom they had a "bout" 
 occasionally, the time was looked for- 
 ward to with anxiety by the " fistic com- 
 munity." The friends of Sullivan de- 
 termined to give him a " good fitting 
 out," and consequently were most assid- 
 uous in their attentions upon him. The 
 day of battle arrived, and throngs of the 
 " peasantry" wended their way to the 
 battle ground. All things being in rea- 
 diness, the " gladiators" entered the 
 arena, and the fight began. Sullivan, 
 cunningly, kept himself rather " quiet" 
 during the first part of the battle, in or- 
 der to draw his opponent, and by so do- 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 11 
 
 ing, agcertain his peculiar mode of fight- 
 ing, and so arrange his " little army of 
 ten," as to " go in" at the proper mo- 
 ment, and endeavour to win. This 
 course he pursued for a short tini«, his 
 opponent getting in some stingers upon 
 Sullivan, and thinking at the same time 
 that as there was no fight in him, he 
 would soon finish him. Sullivan, by 
 this time, had " heard enough," and 
 profiting by a knowledge of his oppo- 
 nent's tactics, though it cost him some 
 bruises to gain that knowledge, he went 
 to work. His well-directed blows so 
 confused his adversary, and his scienti- 
 fic abilities were so unexpected to him, 
 tliat he was almost panic struck, though 
 he still fought on, and did his best to 
 win the battle ; but after a hard fight of 
 1 hour and 45 minutes, during which 
 time 73 rounds were fought, Trainor 
 was unable to respond to the call of 
 time, and Sullivan was declared the vic- 
 tor amid the plaudits of his friends. 
 This victory proved him to be a man of 
 strong natural scientific qualities, and 
 his friends advised him to take proper 
 precautions in regard to his future move- 
 ments ; to engage in friendly set-to's 
 whenever he had the opportunity, and 
 that he would be able to " stand his 
 hand" with the biggest of thera. Sulli- 
 van followed this advice, sparred at 
 benefits, took plenty of exercise, and 
 tried to keep himself well up to the 
 mark. He soon after engaged in a con- 
 test with George Sharpless, for JGIOO a 
 side, and after fighting 1 hour and 5 
 minutes, Sharpless was defeated. 
 
 Having now gained for himself a 
 name as a Ring Fighter, he kept aloof 
 from the smaller fry, and determined, 
 when the opportunity should offer, to 
 have a " shy" at some of the " big ones. " 
 The opportunity was not long wanting, 
 
 for it happened that a dispute was going 
 on at a public house in the neighborhood 
 where Sullivan was residing, and a man 
 named Tom Brady, a pugilist of the first 
 class, thinking to take the " conceit out 
 of Sullivan," as he said, entered into the 
 discussion, and made such remarks of a 
 personal character, as to touch a tender 
 spot in Sullivan's feelings, and the latter 
 rushed in to chastise his antagonist, but 
 the friends of both interfered, and for 
 the time stopped the fight. Sullivan 
 however, sent a challenge to Brady, who 
 at once accepted it, and the time was 
 named for the battle. It was considered 
 an unwise proceeding in Sullivan to 
 match himself against a man of such 
 acknowledged powers as Brady had 
 previously proved himself to be, but 
 Sullivan had no fears for the result, for 
 he made up his mind that he would win 
 the fight if he had a " fair shake," and 
 his prophecy proved true enough, for 
 after a fight of only 17 rounds, occupy- 
 ing but 30 minutes, Brady was done for, 
 and Sullivan was awarded the battle. 
 
 Sullivan had now obtained a series of 
 victories, and was looked upon as a tip- 
 top man. Having nothing new on hand, 
 he determined to visit America, and ac- 
 cordingly arrived here in 1838, stopping 
 here about 12 months, during which 
 time he had one or two " dashes," and 
 having got a liking for the Yorkers, he 
 determined to return home, and make 
 arrangements for taking up his residence 
 permanently in this country. On arriv- 
 ing in his native country, his friends, 
 finding him rough and ready, with a tol- 
 erable knowledge of the art of self de- 
 fence, determined to give him a chance 
 in the London Prize Ring, and accord- 
 ingly sent forth a challenge that he 
 would fight any eleven stone man in 
 England. This was a bold move on the 
 
12 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 pugilistic board, for at that time there 
 were in England men of that weight in 
 whose hands it was thought Sullivan 
 would not have the shadow of a chance. 
 However, the challenge appeared, and 
 while some were wondering at the te- 
 merity of Sullivan, who had never be- 
 fore been heard of in the London Ring, 
 the challenge attracted the attention of 
 the friends of Hammer Lane, who at 
 that time was looked upon as one of the 
 best of his weight. "Without more ado, 
 Lane's friends, without his knowledge, 
 accepted Sullivan's challenge, but on 
 Lane's being made acquainted with the 
 arrangement, he gratefully accepted the 
 invitation of his London friends, more 
 especially as it gave him an opportunity 
 of regaining the confidence of his friends, 
 which had been somewhat shaken by 
 his battle with young Molineaux, in 
 which the latter defeated him in 53 
 rounds, occupying 72 minutes. This 
 battle was fought on the 9th of June, 
 1840. The challenge given by Sullivan 
 having been accepted by Hammer Lane, 
 we give the following authentic report 
 of the fight, as taken from Bell's Life, of 
 Feb. 7th, 1841. 
 
 It will be seen that Lane fought sev- 
 eral rounds with his left hand only ; 
 his right hanging useless at his side. 
 Although defeated, Lane lost none of 
 that confidence which had heretofore 
 been reposed in him. 
 
 GREAT FIGHT 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Yankee Sullivan and Hammer Lane, 
 
 FOR £50 A SIDE 
 
 February 2, 1841. 
 
 With the name of Hammer Lane, 
 who is a star of the Birmingham school, 
 our readers are acquainted. He is a 
 hero, distinguished for the high charac- 
 
 ter which he has maintained, and has 
 been fairly rated as a bright sample of 
 the school from which he sprung. As 
 the successful opponent of Owen Swift, 
 he was regarded as a man of no com- 
 mon talent ; and, in fact, from his out- 
 set, his milling career has been dis- 
 tinguished by unbroken good fortune, 
 until deprived of his well-earned laurels 
 by young Molyneux. the black, in the 
 month of June last, when, from an inju- 
 ry in his right hand, his chances of vic- 
 tory were extinguished. He had previ- 
 ously beaten Harry Ball, Hewson, Jack 
 Green,TassParker (twice), Jack Adams, 
 and Bing stokes, the Westminster Pet. 
 His carriage is unquestionable, and his 
 style of fighting scientific and efiective, 
 while his manners and general deport- 
 ment are not only inofiensive but popu- 
 lar. He was born in 1815, and his 
 fighting weight is 150 pounds, to which 
 point he was brought on Tuesday last, 
 being in perfect condition, and in all re- 
 spects fitting for the scratch. He train- 
 ed with Johnny Broome at Stockbridge, 
 and it is needless to say, gained golden 
 opinions by the steadiness and propriety 
 of his conduct. With regard to Sulli- 
 van, he is unknown in the pugilistic 
 circles ; but he is stated to be a Yan- 
 kee ; but we are inclined to believe he 
 is an Eastender ; like Jim Ward, of Irish 
 parents. By the articles, it was stipu- 
 lated that his antagonist was not to ex- 
 ceed eleven stone, while he might catch 
 weight. His age is 25, his height about 
 
 5 feet 10 inches, his frame muscular and 
 well proportioned, his weight 11 stone 
 
 6 lbs., and his face, although he may 
 deny his parentage, very like a Conne- 
 mara ram, displaying all the fierceness 
 and wildness of that war-like animal, 
 barring the natural appendages in the 
 shape of horns. As with Nick Ward, 
 his induction to the mysteries of the 
 English ring was intrusted to Peter Tay- 
 lor, and he proved himself an accom- 
 plished pupil to a good master. On en- 
 tering the ring he was accompanied by 
 Peter Taylor and Harry Holt, and sport- 
 ed a green throttle-squeeze with yellow 
 spots. Hammer Lane claimed the kind- 
 ly offices of Johnny Broome and Fuller, 
 and displayed a purple flag with yellow 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 
 border. On stripping, both men showed 
 their condition 1o be first rate. Lane 
 displayed a playful, devil-may-care con- 
 fidence, while Sullivan was as grave as 
 a mustard pot, and looked as fierce as a 
 devilled kidney. The odds at starling 
 were 2 to I on Lane, which increased 
 5 to 4 and 3 to 1, the latter odds being 
 taken to a large figure. At twenty-two 
 minutes after four, operations commen- 
 ced. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 R<'Und IsL — Sullivan was no sooner 
 at the scratch, than he threw himself 
 into a form which proved that there was 
 nothing of the novice in his pretensions ; 
 he led ofiT vigorously with his left, which 
 was prettily stopped, and he in turn 
 stopped Lane's left and right. Good 
 stops followed on both sides. Sullivan 
 popped in his left, but did not get quite 
 home, while Lane in tiie counter, caught 
 him in the nob. " Kid him," cried some 
 of Sullivan's friends, and he tried the 
 feinting dodge, but Lane was not to be 
 had. Sullivan waited steadily, his 
 hands well up, when Lane broke ground 
 and hit away left and right, a rally fol- 
 lowed, in which there were some pretty 
 exchanges without much advantage on 
 cither side, when Lane, from the state of 
 the ground, slipped and fell. (Loud 
 cheers for the Yankee.) 
 
 Round 2d. — Sullivan, of whose pre- 
 tensions no mean opinion was formed, 
 came up steady, and waited for the at- 
 tack. La^e led off with his left, but 
 was stopped. Some lively exchanges 
 followed left and right, and after a short 
 rally, Lane again slipped down laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 Round 3d. — Good counter hits with 
 the left, one of which caught Lane on 
 the mouth, and another dropped on Sul- 
 livan's ogle, which immediately showed 
 a mouse. A lively rally close to the 
 ropes, in which it was observed that 
 Sullivan hit open handed. Lane closed 
 and threw his man, with his head under 
 his arm. 
 
 Round 4th. — On coming to the scratch, 
 the dials of both were painted, and a 
 tinge ©f blood was perceptible on Lane's 
 lips from a t uch on his ivories. Sulli- 
 
 van again stopped Lane's first effort with 
 his left, and in return gave him another 
 smack in the gob. Good stopping on 
 both sides. Lane dropped his left on 
 Sullivan's body. After an exchange of 
 blows, Sullivan hit short with his left, 
 and tried the upper cut, but missed. 
 Lane in getting away slipped down, but 
 rose laughing. 
 
 Rouvd bh. — Counter hit with the left 
 and good exchanges left and right. A 
 close, in which mutual fibbing took 
 place, and Sullivan showed that he was 
 quite awake to in, as well as out fight- 
 ing. Ill the struggle for the fall, Lane 
 got his man down. 
 
 Rdund (ilk. — Lane came up laughing, 
 hit out with his left, but was stopped ; 
 he made a feint with his left, and suc- 
 ceeded in planting slightly with his 
 right on Sullivan's pimple, which he 
 followed up, after another cunning 
 dodge, by a visitation from his left. 
 Sullivan, nothing daunted, followed him 
 up to the corner, caught his left hand 
 with his right, and with his left gave 
 him a whack in^the chops. Lane broke 
 away and commenced a fierce rally, hit- 
 ting out left and right. Sullivan stop- 
 ped both blows on the points of his el- 
 bows, and in an instant we observed, 
 from the immediate swelling of his right 
 fore arm, that Lane had sustained severe 
 injury ; he, however, let go his left at 
 the body, but dropping his right to his 
 side, it was obvious that he had lost the 
 power of using it. Still he jobbed with 
 his left, which Sullivan rushed in and 
 seized with his right, and in the close 
 Lane fell, Sullivan upon him. (Al- 
 though the injury to Lane's arm was 
 only visible to us now, we learn that 
 the mischief was done in the third round, 
 and that the consequent use of the arm 
 increased the fracture till further exer- 
 tion became impossible. The bone call- 
 ed the rac/zus, was completely fractured.) 
 
 Round Ilk. — The extent of injury to 
 Lane's right arm was not generally 
 known, but on coming up it was seen 
 that it was powerless ; in fact, he rest- 
 ed it on his body, and at once commen- 
 ced fighting with his left. He jobbed 
 Sullivan dreadfully on the snout, from 
 whence he drew lots of claret ; he re- 
 
14 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 pcated the some dose in quick suoces- 
 sion three or four times; from the rapidi- 
 ty, force, and straightness of the blows 
 (Sullivan being unable to stop them), 
 the hits were terridc, and severe cuts 
 on the brow a)id cheek followed the 
 previous visits on the nose, the Yankee 
 exhibiting a woful spectacle, bleeding 
 most profusely. Sullivan's friends now 
 called loudly upon him to go in and 
 light, as I.ano had but one arm. He re- 
 sponded to the advice, followed Lane as 
 he retreated jobbing, to the corner. 
 Sullivan attempted to close, but Lane 
 slipped down. [It now became the ques- 
 tion with Lane's backers from the state 
 of his arm, whether prudence and hu- 
 manity should not suggest the propriety 
 of submitting to the consequences of this 
 melancholy accident. Lane, however, 
 resisted the suggestion, said he could lick 
 him with one hand, and on time being 
 called, came up to the scratch laugh- 
 ing,] 
 
 Round Sth. — Thrice did Sullivan, 
 who confin»>d himself to the defensive 
 system, stop the hammerman's territic 
 left, whose right continued pinned to 
 his side. Lane retreated to draw his 
 man, jobbing him as he advanced. Sul- 
 livan hitshort at the lame arm but miss- 
 ed, when Lane caught him heavily in 
 the body with his left, and then, to the 
 astonishment of the ring, repeated the 
 like heavy blows with the same hand 
 on the mouth and body with the rapidi- 
 ty of lightning, inereiising the fractures 
 in the Yankee's dial. SulliA'an appear- 
 ed quite bewildered, and hit short, but 
 being called upon by his seconds and 
 backers to go in, he followed their ad- 
 vice, but missed a right handed hit, and 
 Lane went down laughing. 
 
 Round 9^/i.— Sullivan had now suffi- 
 cient to do to stop the left handed hits 
 of his gallant opponent, who, however, 
 contrived to pepper him with unceasing 
 vigor and etrect, till, on Sullivan's bo- 
 ring in, he fell at the ropes to avoid a 
 struggle. 
 
 Round 10/fe.— Lane again led off with 
 'his left, and retreated ; Sullivan, amidst 
 the bellowing of his friends, followed 
 him to the corner, caught the olTending 
 weapon in his right hand, and was about 
 to administer pepper with his left, when 
 
 Lane got down to avoid. [Sullivan's 
 seconds claimed " foul," but the claim 
 was instantly resisted as perfectly 
 groundless ] 
 
 Round 1 \th. — Lane again gave his ad- 
 versary [whose head exhibited a very 
 lively representation of a '* Field Lane 
 duck, alias a b —y jemmy,"] a poke in 
 the breadbasket and retired. Sullivan 
 followed him at the score, and caught 
 him Mith the right on the nob but open 
 handed. Lane here retreated to the 
 ropes but could not get farther, on which 
 Sullivan seized him with both arms. 
 Lane, perfectly powerless, could not get 
 away ; but in trying for the fall, instead 
 of falling on him, Sullivan fell wide of 
 his mark, and to the great amusement 
 of the spectators. 
 
 Rouml I2lh.—A strong feeling ot 
 sympathy for the fate of Lane now per- 
 vaded all quarters, but still he came up 
 as game as a bull dog. Counter hits 
 M-ith the left. Lane endeavoring to fol- 
 low up his favorite suit, hit short. Tn 
 a second attempt he was more fortunate, 
 and jobbed Sullivan dreadfully as he 
 came in three times in succession,, spin- 
 ning the claret from his mug, like sparks 
 from a pyrotechnic centre. Sullivan 
 rushed in furiously, but Lane got down. 
 
 Round 13/^. — Lane passed in a body 
 blow with his left and retreated. Sul- 
 livan, who was nearly stunned by the 
 repeated visitations to his pimple, rush- 
 ed in and hit open handed with his left, 
 and Lane got down. 
 
 Round I4:ih. — Lane pursued his job- 
 bing system, hit between Sullivan's 
 guard and muzzled him. Sullivan 
 fought wild, and missed right and left, 
 when Lane drew back, and met him as 
 he came in, and gave him a tremendous 
 smasher on the optic. Sullivan was 
 " flabergasticated," when Lane dropped 
 him a slashing hit on the nose. 
 
 Round 15//i. — Sullivan came up a 
 splendid object for a butcher's shop. 
 Sullivan stopped Lane's left bell hit. 
 Short in return. In the counter hits he 
 was more successful, and being provid- 
 ed with a piece of oakum in his hand, 
 he kept it closed. Counter with the 
 left. Lane three times in succession 
 passed in his favorite jobbers. Sullivan 
 followed him up to the corner, when 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 15 
 
 Lane slipped under the ropes lauu'hin?, 
 and exciting the admiration and wonder 
 of the siirroundini? throng. 
 
 Round ir.//i.— Sullivan's left daylight 
 all but exlinguislied. Lane passed in 
 his left, but was short. Contitcr hitting 
 with the left, in which Sullivan having 
 contrived, by the advice of his seconds, 
 to keep his short, caught Lane a tre- 
 mendous whack on the left brow, cut- 
 ting him severely, and dropping him 
 close to the corner. 
 
 Round 17 th. — Counter hits with the 
 left. Lane passed in his left twice in 
 succession on the head and body. He 
 retreated, but on Irying to repeat the 
 dose, Sullivan stopped him, and was 
 trying to return the compliment, when 
 Lane slipped down to avoid. " Foul" 
 was again claimed, which showed the 
 desperate apprehensions entertained by 
 Sullivan's seconds, but was again re- 
 jected by the referee. 
 
 Round 18'/i.— Still did Lane come up 
 with unflinching courage, and delivered 
 with his left on the head and body, re- 
 treating (cries to Sullivan, " go in and 
 fight, he's got butone hand.") Sullivan 
 obeyed the mandate, and caught Lane a 
 heavy jobbing hit under the left eye. 
 Lane down, bleeding. 
 
 Round 19/'i, and /a>t.— Lane ctime up 
 with less vigor than in former rounds, 
 when Sullivan rushed in to fight,received 
 a smack from the left, but returned with 
 severity in the old spot, and Lane was 
 again down. Sullivan, although dread- 
 fully punished, being still strong on his 
 legs. 
 
 Swift, and the hackers of Lane, feel- 
 ing that to protract the fight would be 
 inhuman to Lane, gave in for him amidst 
 loud cheers from the friends of the Yan- 
 kee, who was proclaimed the victor, in 
 34 minutes. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The extraordinary courage displayed 
 by Lane on the occasion, fighting, as 
 he did, thirteen rounds against a man of 
 superior weight, excited the unmitigated 
 admiration of all. 
 
 A more extraordinary display of Brit- 
 ish bravery never signalized the doings 
 of the ring ; and but for the judicious 
 
 advice of Sullivan's friend.s, such was 
 the extreme severity of the punishment 
 administered, little doubt existed that he 
 would have bitten the dust or rather 
 snow, with which the battle field was 
 covered. Had lianc coirimenced a-s he 
 began in the 7th round, and contented 
 himself with jobbing his man with 
 the left as he came in, keeping his right 
 in reserve, no doubt his labors would 
 have quickly terminated. He seemed 
 disposed, however, to try the metal of 
 his opponent, and thus incurred an inju- 
 ry which, we consider, rendered his 
 chance of success hopeless. Sullivan 
 proved himself a greater adapt than was 
 anticipated, and from the patience with 
 which he sustained the severe punish- 
 ment which he received, he is entitled 
 to the character of a perfect " glutton :" 
 and considering it was his first appear- 
 ance in >the English rijig, he is entitled 
 to every praise. Poor Lane was con- 
 veyed from the ground to a surgeon at 
 Newbury, whf're the bone of his arm 
 was secured by^splints. The unfortu- 
 nate fellow seemed to feel more for his 
 backers than for himself. He v/as con- 
 veyed to town the next day, and showed 
 at the " Bath," with his arm in a sling, 
 and his left eye under a green verandah,. 
 
 The result of the battle with Hammer 
 Lane, while it gave great satisfaction to 
 those who had sported their moTiey on 
 Sullivan, did not, however, gain him many 
 friends, for it was the confident opinion 
 of those well qualified to judge, that 
 but for the accident by which Lane's arm 
 had been rendered useless, Sullivan would 
 have been defeated. This was merely 
 opinion, however. Be this as it may, the 
 friends of Lane were decidedly " down on 
 Sullivan," and plainly made it manifest in 
 more than one way, and on more than one 
 occasion. The manner in which Sullivan 
 endeavored to inflict additional punish- 
 ment upon Lane's disabled arm was strong- 
 ly commented on, and it was thought that 
 some fresh disturbance might originate 
 from the agitation of the subject, and, by 
 
16 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 the acjvice of some friends, Sullivan deter- ' 
 mined to leave the country, and for this 
 purpose made all the arrangements neces- 
 sary for his departure. Early in the 
 spring of 1841, Sullivan bid adieu to the 
 laud of his birth, to that green isle where 
 he had sported in boyhood's days, and to 
 part from which caused him many a bitter 
 pang. Aiter a long passage Sullivan 
 reached this city, and at once went to 
 work to look up some little habitation 
 where he might establish himself in busi- 
 ness. He was not long idle, having rent- 
 ed an old-fashioned house in Division 
 street, where he at once entered upon 
 the duties of publican, and as his battle 
 with Hammer Lane had rendered his name 
 familiar to the sporting world, he soon 
 succeeded in drawing plenty of customers 
 to the " Sawdust House," as his tavern 
 was styled, and also in filling his till with 
 a plentiful sprinkling of the " almighty 
 dollar." His house became the resort of 
 the pugilistic fraternity, and everything 
 seemed to work " fair and square." His 
 countrymen, who looked upon him as a 
 bright sample of the Emerald Isle, were 
 in extacies on account of his defeat of the 
 great Hammer Lane. Some of the more 
 enthusiastic admirers of the "Yankee," 
 as he was styled in England, after the bat- 
 tle with Lane, would get together of a 
 Saturday night, in a back room of the 
 Sawdust House, and over their well filled 
 glasses, would sing and talk of the exploits 
 of the daring Sullivan,who couldn't be b eat. 
 
 It could not be expected where there 
 were such nightly assemblages of all classes 
 of sporting gentry, that unity and good- 
 will would be always predominant. Many 
 little quarrels had already taken place, 
 though nothing of any great moment had 
 as yet startled the world from its usual 
 quiet. However, a storm was brewing ; 
 the friends of Sullivan, anxious to show 
 
 their readiness to back their gallant coun- 
 tryman, seemed more anxious to get up a 
 fight between Sullivan and somebody else, 
 they did'nt care who, than Sullivan did 
 hunself, who quietly attended to the wants 
 of the " gentlemen at the bar," and by so 
 doing attended to the wants of the " gen- 
 tleman behind the bar," for the silver roll- 
 ed into his hands with the least trouble in 
 the world. Probably Sullivan would have 
 preferred this mode of doing business, but 
 as his friends wished to " bring him out," 
 and show the Yankees what the Irish lad 
 could do, he at last made a match with 
 an Englishman named Yince Hammond. 
 
 Hammond, we believe, resided at Phila- 
 delphia, and he having won the choice of 
 ground, selected a spot of ground on 
 League Island, about 10 miles south of 
 PhiladeljDhia, on which to fight the battle. 
 The match was made for ^100 a side. The 
 friends of each rallied for their particular 
 man, and betting w^as quite lively, a con-- 
 siderable sum of money being sported on 
 the "event." Although Hammond had 
 his own ground to fight on, yet the back- 
 ers and friends of Sullivan were " all alive," 
 and on the morning of the 2nd of Septem- 
 ber, 1841, the lower part of Philadelphia 
 presented a bustling appearance, as differ- 
 ent parties could be seen wending their 
 way to the scene of battle. The ring had 
 been formed upon a level piece of ground, 
 and every thing promised fair for a "tip 
 top fight." As the men entered the inner 
 ring, and stood eyeing each other like a 
 couple of "game cocks," it appeared a diffi- 
 cult matter to undertake to say, from ap- 
 pearances, how the contest would end. 
 Betting was about even, though the friends 
 of Hammond, in some instances, would 
 give odds for the purpose of getting a 
 bet. There was much betting as to who 
 would succeed in bringing "first blood." 
 Sullivan had advised his friends to bet all 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 17 
 
 the money they could raise on his winning 
 this point, and this coming to the ear of 
 Hammond, he determined, if possible, to 
 circumvent the wily Irishman, and gain 
 the advantage himself. Thus the bets of-- 
 fered by Sullivan's friends on first blood, 
 were cheerfully taken up by his oppo 
 nents. 
 
 Thus matters stood when the men walked 
 to the scratch at the call of time, and 
 began 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Sullivan had been well taken care of and 
 looked for all the world as if he had been 
 purposely cut out for a fighting man. 
 Hammond was not exactly in as good trim 
 as his friends desired he should be, never- 
 theless it was thought he would be able to 
 give a good account of himself. On the 
 men getting to the scratch, Hammond im- 
 mediately went to work, and sent in his 
 right, which reached the Yankee's upper 
 lip, the blow just being hard enough to cut 
 the inner skin, and send the blood trickling 
 down his teeth. Having the interest of 
 his backers at heart, and wishing to save 
 them the large sums bet on his winning 
 "first blood," he instantly clenched tight 
 his lips and drew the blood in ere it was 
 perceived by the friends of his opponent. 
 Then with the rapidity of lightning, he let 
 fly at Hammond, catching him a tre- 
 mendous cut, splitting open his cheek, 
 and drawing an abundance of the ruby 
 liquid. The strength of the blow sent 
 Hammond reeling, and as he staggered 
 back, Sullivan, clapping his hands in de- 
 light, cried out "first blood," and then re- 
 tired to his corner in the best of humor. 
 It is enough to say that Sullivan, after 
 the first round, had the fight all his 
 own way, as he was enabled to 
 hit Hammond as he pleased, without 
 
 receiving the least punishment in return. 
 Hammond's face was literally cut in gash- 
 es, the blood running from the wounds in 
 all directions, and dying not only his own, 
 but also the body of Sullivan. Ham- 
 mond was nothing in the hands of Sulli- 
 van, as after fighting but eight rounds, 
 occupying only ten minutes, SuKivan was 
 declared the victor. Sullivan proved 
 himself a clever tactician in this battle, 
 and also gave evidence that he was not 
 wanting in cunning, as the little incident 
 narrated above testified. • 
 
 The defeat of Hammond caused a great 
 glorification among the friends of Yankee; 
 and Country McCleester, a firm friend of 
 Sullivan, wishing to have a " finger in the 
 pie," caught a fight .with Hyer, in which 
 he, Mc Cleester, was defeated. This 
 rather elated the American portion of the 
 pugilistic fraternity, and as Hyer was 
 thought to be the one most likely to take 
 down Sullivan, a match was talked of by 
 the two. As Hyer would fight for noth- 
 ing less than ^3000 aside, Sullivan's 
 friends were obliged to " drop the subject," 
 inasmuch as this sum was rather beyond 
 their means. However, willing that Sul- 
 livan should have another dash in the 
 magic circle, a man named Secor was 
 produced by the opponents of Sullivan, 
 and though a formidable looking man, 
 Sullivan accepted the banter, and a 
 match was made for Secor and Sullivan 
 to fight, on tlie 22d of January, 1842. 
 Thus the two factions were satisfied for 
 the time, and betting eommenced on the 
 result in good earnest. Secor being a 
 heavy man, it was thought that Sullivan 
 would meet with a defeat, but he had his 
 own thoughts on the subject, and went 
 into active training for the fight. The 
 following full and authv'.ntic report of the 
 battle is tak-m from the Sporting Chroni- 
 cle of that d4:ate : 
 
18 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 GKEAT FIGHT 
 BETWEEN YANKEE SULLIVAN 
 
 AND THOMAS SECOR, 
 ON SATURDAY JANUARY, 24 1842, 
 
 AT STATEN ISLAND. 
 
 We rose at an early liour on Saturday 
 morning to e«ibark to see the long talked 
 of fight between the renowned Yankee 
 Sullivan and Thomas Secor. On sallying 
 forth, we found the sky slightly flecked 
 here and there with light feathery clouds, 
 and a soft south-westerly breeze breathing 
 a moderate and bracing freshness through 
 the atmosphere. 
 
 At half-past 8 o'clock we started in the 
 Boston, steamer, preceeded by the Citizen 
 (Secor's boat), the Star (Sullivan's boat), 
 and the steamer Dream, and were followed 
 by the steamer Wave. Thousands v/ho 
 were disappointed in getting aboard, lined 
 the wharves and ran in crowds up and 
 down the river side. The order of the day 
 was, that all the boats should follow Sulli- 
 van's, who was to select the ground. 
 There appeared, however, to be some in- 
 decision in regard to the matter, for after 
 arriving opposite the heights of eternal 
 Neversink, the champion's boat backed 
 irresolutely to and fro for some time, and 
 kept the others playing about like attend- 
 ant dolphins. At length it was resolved 
 to land at a wharf on Staten Island about 
 1-2 a mile north of old Fort Tompkins, and 
 at a 1 4 to 11 A. M. the whole party dis- 
 embarked. The singular multitude stream- 
 ed in one long unbroken line along the 
 heights towards the south, some bearing 
 huge stakes, others ropes, and two or three 
 a pickaxe, terrifying the simple inhabi- 
 tants of the neighborhood with the savage 
 irruption, and spreading even an uncer- 
 tain alarm among the blue coated U. S. 
 gentry from the fort, who came running 
 iu crowds to look on the strange array. 
 
 The spot pitched upon was upon the 
 beautiful grounds of Mr. Aspinwall, of this 
 city, within a few hundred yards of the 
 light house at the " Narrows," and about 
 half a mile from Fort Tompkins. There 
 were about 2,000 spectators of all classes 
 and descriptions on the ground. At 3-4 
 to 12 the stakes were driven and two rings 
 formed, the inner one twenty-four feet 
 square for the combatants and their 
 
 seconds, and the outer one, very large, 
 so as to a&brd a convenient circle for the 
 large number on the ground. The spot 
 was peculiarly adapted to the business in 
 hand, as it lay at the foot of an abrupt 
 slope of two or three hundred yards, which 
 afforded a capital stand for the lookers on, 
 and the close shaven sod was rendered 
 soft and elastic by the action of a bright 
 and beautiful sun. 
 
 While the preparations were going on, 
 Sullivan walked about among the crowd, 
 surveyed the arrangements with a cheerful 
 and accustomed eye, and bantered several 
 of his opponents with a bet of fifty to 
 thirty-five dollars upou himself. At twen- 
 ty minutes to 12, every thing being ready> 
 the men commenced to peel. Five min- 
 utes afterward they entered the Ring, and 
 confronted each other, stripped to the buflf 
 above the middle, while their nether array 
 consisted of the professional corduroys 
 and hose. Sullivan was the first to enter, 
 his tile had been previously cast in by his 
 second McClusky, and Secor's hat follow- 
 ed by the hands of Yanderzee. Previous 
 to confronting each other, Sullivan nailed 
 his color — a shred of black muslin — to one 
 of the stakes, and Yanderzee addressing 
 himself to the assemblage remarked, that 
 his principal wanted nothing but " a fair 
 and honest thing." 
 
 THE MEN. 
 
 When the men confronted each other, 
 the superiority of Secor's size was very 
 apparent, though to practised eyes he was 
 plainly too fine. His flesh had a healthful 
 ruddy glow, and the only fault of his con- 
 dition was that there was a little too much 
 of it. Of his physical proportions, we 
 have spoken elsewhere, so need not recap- 
 itulate them in detail. We have but to 
 repeat that he is defective in the chest, 
 which is rather flat, and his shoulders in- 
 cline to be round. In short, he is by no 
 means such a man as we should select as 
 calculated to become celebrated in the 
 prize ring, though sooth to say he is a man 
 of great "physical strength, strength how- 
 ever which is encumbered and embarras- 
 sed by other points that form no part of 
 the neceesary tout ensemble of a gladia- 
 tor. 
 
 Sullivan, on the other hand, with a 
 single physical exception, may be said to 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 19 
 
 be the very model of a man of his weight 
 and size. In heig-ht he is 5 feet 10 inches, 
 his frame is round, his limbs muscular and 
 clean with the exception of a slight in- 
 flection of his knees. His head is small 
 and round, and has the appeaLance of 
 being bone, features and all, from the bold- 
 ness of its angles, the remarkable close- 
 ness of the skin, and the apparent 
 impenetrability of its texture. His flesh 
 was clear, what he had of it, and clung 
 with peculiar tenacity to his body. We 
 do not know his exact weight, but believe 
 the ditFerence between him and his antag- 
 onist to be about 231b3. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round 1st. — ^At 15 minutes to 12, after 
 the principals and seconds had shaken 
 hands, all together, across each other's 
 arms, the two combatants came merrily 
 up to the scratch. Sullivan gathered 
 himself up in his peculiar style, like a ti- 
 ger preparing himself for a spring, and 
 Secor brandished his arms warily up and 
 down, while he at the same time eyed his 
 antagonist with an intense and determined 
 gaze. Secor led off with his right, which 
 was followed by Sullivan as quick as light 
 ning upon his antagonist's nose ; Sullivan 
 then went to the ground to avoid the return. 
 (Cries of " First blood for Sullivan!" 
 and " he went down without a blow ! ") 
 
 Round 2d. — Both right to work. Sul- 
 ly stopped, and returned a slinging smack 
 on the nose, starting the blood again ; an- 
 swered by Secor with a Paixhan shot on, 
 the nob, which knocked Sullivan out stiff 
 and he fell, clear to the ground on his 
 back. When he was carried to his corner 
 by his seconds, he pointed tauntingly at 
 Secor's nose, and made faces at him. 
 
 Round 3d. — At it sharp again. Sulli- 
 van led off upon the mouth, cutting it 
 again, and as Secor followed up, he plant- 
 ed, in his retreat, two more in the same 
 place and then went down to avoid the 
 return, laughing from the ground in Se- 
 cor's face, who unwillingly had to turn 
 away without touching him on the ground. 
 This system of mocking and pointing the 
 finger at his antagonist was pursued by 
 Sullivan from the start, for the purpose of 
 exasperating him and throwing him off 
 his guard, and was in a slight measure 
 successful. We cannot suppose it prac- 
 
 tised for any other purpose, as Secor was 
 by no means an enemy to excite any man's 
 contempt. 
 
 Round Ath. — Yankee led off again upon 
 his old spot, on the nose, as true as a triv- 
 et and sharp as a knife, following it up, 
 in his retreat ; then seeing trouble coming, 
 he slipped away from it like a shadow 
 and laughed in his baffled opponent's 
 face. 
 
 Round 5th. — Both came up briskly ; 
 •Secor made a feint and Sullivan went to 
 the ground without a blow. (Murmurs 
 of dissatisfaction from Secor's friends and 
 a laugh from Sullivan.) 
 
 Round 6th. — Sullivan commenced in 
 good earnest, planted three successive 
 blows in Secor's face, one on either eye, 
 and one on the old spot, starting the clai'- 
 et again in streams ; he then dropped 
 away from the return, and went to his 
 corner laughing contemptuously again. 
 
 Round "ith. — Secor caught it again on 
 the mug, and ere he could reply, Sullivan 
 took to the ground. 
 
 Round 8th. — S^cor came up fierce and 
 went right to work. He let fly with his 
 left, caught Yankee on his collar bone, 
 turned him half way round, and followed 
 with his right on the shoulder blade with 
 such force as to cause an abrasion (/f the 
 skin and make a noise resembling a pistol 
 crack. Sully returned, but did not get 
 home, and Secor caught him on the front- 
 al bone and sent him to the ground. 
 
 Round 9th. — Yankee stopped, let fly 
 with his left, caught Secor on the nose in 
 the old place, and went down laughing to 
 avoid the return. 
 
 Round IQth. — Sullivan bled his man 
 this time the same way, and went down 
 laughing again. 
 
 Round 11th. — Secor led off, was stop- 
 ped, caught a return blow on his gory 
 nose that sent the claret flying in a spray 
 and widened the cleft already made. 
 Secor rushed in, closed and threw his man^ 
 falling on him. Sullivan went to his 
 corner laughing at him. 
 
 Round 12th. — Sullivan led off in earn- 
 est, planting blow after blow in his oppo- 
 ^ nent's face. Secor, made wild by his 
 1 punishment, returned at random, and Sul- 
 livan went down laughing. 
 
 Round 13th.— A rally and Secor nearly 
 thrown over the ropes. 
 
LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 fiO 
 
 Round 14:th — A rally, a close and Sully 
 down. 
 
 Round 15th. — Sharp counter liits, a 
 rally, Sullivan driven to the ropes and 
 half pressed through them by Secor, who 
 fell upon him. Sully returned to his 
 cprner laughing as before. 
 
 Round I6tk. — Sullivan sent the claret 
 from Secor's nose into fine spray again 
 by a stinging smack ; Secor rushed iu 
 and closed, but Sullivan turned him and 
 Secor went to the ground. 
 
 Round 11th. — Smart exchanges, a close, 
 a rally and both down. 
 
 Round ISth. — Secor hit out right and 
 left, a rally, Sully driven to the ropes, a 
 clinch, a short struggle, ineffective ex 
 changes and Sullivan nearly pressed 
 through the ropes. 
 
 Round 19th. — A sharp rally, a close 
 and both down. 
 
 Round 2Qth. — Both commenced earn- 
 estly ; counter hits, a rally, a close and 
 Sullivan pressed to the ropes, when Secor 
 fell over him bodily. 
 
 Round 21st. — A rally, Secor caught it 
 sharply on his snuff box again, painting 
 the tist of his antagonist ; close and Sulli- 
 van went down leaving Secor dreadfully 
 jobbed. 
 
 Round 22d. — Sullivan let fly wdth his 
 left three times with terrific effect, com- 
 pletely distracting his enemy, who rushed 
 at him with open hands and arms ; Sulli- 
 van admonished him once more of his 
 carelessness by a sharp cutting blow, and 
 went to the ground laughing at him. 
 
 Round 23d. — Secor a little shy, let fly 
 with his right, w^as stopped and caught it 
 in return on his snuff taker, the blood 
 jetting out into spray from the force of 
 the blow, in all directions ; Secor rushed 
 in, clinched and pressed his man to the 
 ropes and fell on him. 
 
 Round 24:th. — Secor's eyes were now 
 both cushioned and variegated with their 
 frequent visitations ; his face was covered 
 all over with the blood which at the end 
 of every round streamed profusely from 
 his nose. He. came up this time with a 
 stupid and dogged determination ; led off, 
 srtruck short and wild, caught an admonish- 
 er in the old place in consequence, and 
 Yankee went down out of the way of an 
 ugly blow. 
 
 It was now apparent to every body that 
 Secor with h^ bold, straight forward 
 
 mode of fighting, could not contend suc- 
 cessfully with his wily and active adversa- 
 ry. Blow after blow came raining in 
 upon him, drawing blood at every visita- 
 tion, and when he would have returned 
 the compliment, his antagonist sli-pped 
 away fruin him like a shadow, and his 
 blow, wasted in the air, had no other 
 effect than that of straining him and 
 pitching him forward over his tormentor 
 Sullivan went down. 
 
 Round 25th. — Secor came up groggy ; 
 both his eyes were half shut, and the 
 blood clotted his nose and chin, and 
 covered his face. He went in with good 
 wi41, was punished in the old place and 
 Sullivan went down. 
 
 Round 26ih. — Secor went in wild, with 
 open arms and hands, struck out and fell 
 without a blow. (Cries of " he's gone ! 
 The fight is over ! &c." ) 
 
 Round 27if/i.— Sullivan merry, smart 
 counter hits, a close and Sullivan was 
 thrown, Secor falling heavily on him. 
 
 Round 28th. — Secor went in well, got 
 a heavy blow and closed, Sullivan whirled 
 him round and threw him. 
 
 Round 29th. — Secor much fatigued and 
 Sullivan fresh, fierce exchanges, a rally 
 and Secor carried Sullivan half over the 
 ropes, falling on him and trying by his 
 weight to force him outside. 
 
 Round 30th — Sullivan jobbed his man 
 dreadfully, Secor returned wildly. Not- 
 withstanding his severe punishment, he 
 followed his tormentor all round the ring, 
 smiling at him through his blood. A ral- 
 ly and Sullivan thrown half over the ropes 
 on his back, Secor on top of liim jobbing 
 him in the face. 
 
 Round 31st.— 3m:irt exchanges, Secor 
 wild and streaming with blood ; he rallied, 
 drove Sullivan to the ropes, who dropped 
 away from a heavy blow and laughed in 
 his face ; Secor's eyes nearly closed. 
 
 Round 32tt.— Sullivan got in two in 
 his old place, a close and Secor fell heav- 
 ily upon him. 
 
 Round 33d. — Secor caught it again and 
 Sullivan dropped. 
 
 Round 31th. — Another stinging smaclc 
 on Secor's nose ; Sullivan dropped, and 
 Secor in bitter disappointment stood stu- 
 pidly gazing at him. 
 
 Round 35f/i.— After receiving two 
 severe cuts in the face, Secor rallied, press- 
 ed Sullivan to the ropes, where a clinch 
 took place and Secor lifted him half over; 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 91 
 
 they then mutually jobbed each other very 
 severely for some minutes, during- which, 
 amid cries of " Se^or's got him at last,g-ive 
 it to him Secor ! &c." the ring was broken 
 in. After order was restored, the two 
 combatants went at it again with renew- 
 ed vigor and determination. From this 
 to the fiftieth round, followed a succession 
 of rounds, during which Secor came up 
 with a dogged obstinacy, received two or 
 three terrilic cuts in the face, jollowed, 
 closed and pressed his man to the ropes, 
 falling in one or two instances, heavily 
 upon him. 
 
 Round 51st. — A rally, a close, Secor 
 broke away and gave the upper cut, 
 another close and Sullivan down. 
 
 Round 52d. — Wild exchanges, Secor 
 stopped, let fly with his right, caught 
 Sullivan on the ear and struck him down 
 
 Round 53d. — After throwing in two 
 stingers on the nob and nose, Sullivan 
 went down. 
 
 Round 5Uh. — Secor caught a severe 
 body blow, returned it lightly and Yankee 
 went down. 
 
 Ronud ^5th. — A close and Sullivan 
 down. 
 
 Round 5^th. — Secor more and more 
 hopeless, a close and Sullivan down. 
 
 Roa-dd 5T:A.— S.:vJ.;r syrj groggy, 
 struck wild, and caught it very bad in 
 return, Sullivan down at the ropes. 
 
 Romvl 5Qth. — Secor freshening a little, 
 Sullivan down at the ropes. 
 
 Round 5dty. — Secor, though stupid 
 and groggy with punishment, came up 
 well, caught a severe neck blow, followed 
 by another on the chin, mutual hits and 
 both down. 
 
 Round €Oth. — Sharp counters, both 
 down, Sullivan under. 
 
 Rovnd 6lst. — Secor coming up slow 
 but willingly. A rally, and Secor down 
 at the ropes. 
 
 Round G2nd. — Secor caught it again on 
 the nob, rallied and carried his man 
 down at the ropes. 
 
 Round 63rJ. — Secor failing fast, got 
 jobbed badly right and left, and went 
 down hopelessly with the upper cut. 
 
 Rouna 64f/t . — Sharp work, Secor suf- 
 fering, went down with a tremendous 
 body blow. 
 
 Round Qoth. — Secor was now hopeless- 
 
 llyweak; with good heart, however, he 
 staggered up to his man and received his 
 punishment with dogged game. More 
 tlian this cannot be suid. It was mere 
 cruelty to suffer him to go in any more, 
 and he was only allowed to do so at his 
 own urgent entreaties. In this round he 
 came up readily and free, but after a blov/ 
 in the face, Sullivan put down Iii.s arms as 
 if dealing with a child. Another blow 
 carried him down. 
 
 Sullivan now came forward, and offer- 
 ing his hand to Secor, advised that h(; 
 should be withdrawn as it was now abso- 
 lute butchery to strike him. Secor took 
 his hands but refused his advice. 
 
 Round GGth. — Sullivan got in three se- 
 vere cuts and Secor fell heavily to the 
 ground. 
 
 Round G^tk. — Time was called. Secor 
 was ready, but his seconds refused to al- 
 low him to enter. He begged for a few 
 more trials, but at length suffered him- 
 self to be refused. Sullivan was declared 
 the victor amid the acclamations of his 
 friends. xiU hande then pulled up stakes 
 and made tracks for the boats. 
 
 This fight bears its own comment. The 
 whole description may be summed up, by 
 saying that Secor stood up and took his 
 whipping like a man. With his inade- 
 quate science and superior size, he looked 
 like a giant suGering the inflictions of some 
 malicious spirit, impalpable to his attacks. 
 The mode of fighting adopted by Sullivan 
 has been much descanted on in l^ngland 
 and lately here. It is in just disrepute, 
 and though not ruled " foul" by regula- 
 tions of the prize ring, it is not considered 
 " fair" by any of the Fancy. The prac- 
 tice was introduced by the Wards in Eng- 
 land, and practised particularly by Nick of 
 that name. Caunt had to endure it in 
 his fights with the latter, and Brassey was 
 beaten by Tass Parker, a much lighter 
 man, last summer, in the same way. The 
 reporter of that contest speaks with great 
 indignation of the " dropping system," and 
 denounces it as unfair under any circum- 
 stances. We cannot say that we think 
 Sullivan has gained any credit in ithis ach- 
 ievement. We always thought hom a first 
 rate man of his weight, and our opinion is 
 still the same. 
 
 Sullivan was seconded by CoutryMc. 
 Clusky and William Ford. 
 
22 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 Secor, by A. Yanderzee and F. 
 Speights. 
 
 The former left the ground quite fresh, 
 while his antagonist was in a most pitia- 
 ble situation. Most of his injuries, how- 
 ever, are in his face, which is dreadfully 
 swollen, and his nose is literally split in 
 two. 
 
 Sullivan, though he displayed no hurts 
 of consequence in the face, yet received 
 soTiie severe injuries on his body, from the 
 effects of which he must sufi'er not a little. 
 
 Time — One hoar and five minutes. 
 
 The result of the last mentioned fight, 
 wherein Sullivan defeated a man who 
 was much superior to him in size and 
 strength, gave renewed encouragement 
 to the friends of the Yankee, who were 
 in raptures with the fighting abilities so 
 bravely displayed by the cunning Yan- 
 kee. The ruse adopted by him to save 
 for his backers and friends the money 
 sported on the event of " first blood " 
 was looked upon as a "capital good 
 thing," and so it was, though how far it 
 was in accordance with honest and cor- 
 rect principles, we are not bound to say, 
 though it has doubtless served as an ex- 
 ample to subsequent competitors of the 
 wily Irishman, to keep a bright look out 
 upon the manoeuvres of the cunning box- 
 er. The manner in which Secor stood 
 the whipping, reflected great credit 
 upon him as a man of true courage, and 
 had he been possessed of a tithe of the 
 s-cientific abilities displayed by his oppo- 
 nent, he must, in all probability, have 
 won the fight. The " dropping sys- 
 tem," adopted by Sullivan, was not look- 
 ed upon as the " fair thing " for a fair 
 and scientific pugilist to indulge in, and 
 his friends would have preferred to have 
 seen him win the fight in a straightfor- 
 ward and manly way ; but others again 
 .stated that the disparity in the size of 
 the two combatants fully compensated 
 
 for any little advantage taken by Sulli- 
 van, he being the smaller man. 
 
 The fighting spirit was now in the 
 ascendency, and as the friends of Secor 
 were determined to " take down " the 
 Irishman, they cast their eyes round 
 about the pugilistic circle to find a man 
 capable of holding up the honor of the 
 Stars and Stripes against the encroach- 
 ments of the Green Flag of the Emerald 
 Isle. The science of pugilism having 
 been indulged in but to a limited degree 
 in America, a " good man " could not be 
 " picked up " at a moment's warning, 
 and it was promised that when the pro- 
 per man should be found, the Yankee 
 would be on hand to meet him. . In the 
 mean time a couple of descendants of 
 the " peculiar institution of the South," 
 met at Hoboken, on the 1st of June, 
 1842, and fought for $25 aside. The 
 names of the " culled gemmen " were 
 Dan Knox and Sam Briggs. After fight- 
 ing 7 rounds in 18 minutes, Knox sent in 
 so many knocks as to knock his oppo- 
 nent out of time. The week ensuing, a 
 fight took place at Hoboken between two 
 pugilistic aspirants, named Sandy Stew- 
 art and Jim Williams. They fought for 
 $50 aside, and after a contest of 11 min- 
 utes, fighting in that time 8 rounds, 
 Stewart was the winner. Numerous 
 fights, of more or less importance, were 
 eontinually taking place about this time, 
 all owing no doubt to the state of feeling 
 existing in relation to the Stars and 
 Stripes versus the Green Flag. 
 
 Six months had now elapsed since the 
 battle between Sullivan and Secor, and 
 yet no one had been brought forward 
 since that event to test the title to supe- 
 riority. Sullivan was in his prime, and 
 his praises were sung by his enthusias- 
 tic countrymen. In fact, the Yankee 
 was looked upon as " cock of the walk. 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 The boys were around, however, and as 
 the sporters of New York City had not 
 been able thus far to put Sullivan out of 
 conceit of himself, the '' ever-ready lads 
 of Brooklyn " looked throughout the 
 " City of Churches " for a man " suited 
 to their mind." 
 
 It happened about this period that a 
 man named Bell, who had been teach- 
 ing the good people of Brooklyn how to 
 defend themselvs against the "wily in- 
 fluence of foreign encroachments," by 
 force of arms, and who was looked upon 
 as a most skilful exponent of the science 
 of the magic circle, attracted the atten- 
 tion of the knowing ones of Brooklyn as 
 being the very man they had been so 
 long looking for. Bell was sorry he had 
 not been discovered sooner, but really if 
 these gentlemen had merely intimated 
 that he, Bell, was wanting, he would 
 have cheerfully responded to the call. 
 A few moments conversation soon ex- 
 plained matters, and a mutual under- 
 standing was soon arrived at between 
 the " professor and his pupil." Thus, 
 by his ready acquiesence in the wishes 
 of the pugilistic fraternity, Bell proved 
 that he was by no means a dumb-hell. 
 Sullivan and his backers were soon 
 made acquainted with the state of af- 
 fairs, and as the Yankee wanted to keep 
 his " hand in," he agreed to meet the 
 friends of the opposite party to make 
 arrangements for " striking the Bell" 
 although he preferred " ringing in" the 
 change at his place of business, where 
 he could '* give and take " with the 
 greatest good will in the world, and 
 never " went down to avoid a return." 
 
 A short time after the fact had been 
 made known to Sullivan that his "bunch 
 of fives" were to be called into play 
 again, the friends of both men met, and 
 agreed that a " Prize Fight for $300 a 
 
 side should take place between Sullivan 
 and Bell, on Monday, 29th of August, 
 1842." After the announcement had 
 been publicly made that the heretofore 
 victorious Irishman was matched for 
 another set-to, the excitement became 
 greater than ever, and it was confidently 
 expected from the well known attain 
 ments of Bell in " the art and mysteries 
 of shoulder hitting,'' although we be- 
 lieve he had never before engaged in a 
 prize fight, that he would be fully able 
 to vanquish his cunning adversary, and 
 uphold the honor of " the city of church- 
 es." Notwithstanding the formidable 
 appearance of things, Sullivan and his 
 friends were by no means discouraged, 
 but at once made preparations for the 
 day of trial. In Brooklyn, the " boys' 
 were " all alive," and in some cases 
 " kicking," for m^ny a knock-down ar- 
 gument was had upon the merits of the 
 respective men. Although Sullivan had 
 a numerous circle of friends in the re- 
 ligious city, still it was apparent that 
 Bell was the favorite with the masses, 
 inasmuch as he " was one of them." 
 
 The following description of the bat- 
 tle, and incidents connected therewith, 
 is taken from the " Spirit of the Times," 
 of September 3, 1842. 
 
 FIGHT 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 SULLIVAN AND BELL, 
 
 FOR $300 A SIDE, 
 
 At Hart's Island, near New York, 
 
 ON MONDAY, 29th AUGUST, 1842. 
 
 This long expected " mill" came ofi" 
 on Monday last. As a precaution against 
 magisterial interference, the precise field 
 of encounter was not definitely kijiown, 
 except to those immediately concerned, 
 (though it was generally understood 
 that Hart's Island was to be the locale,) 
 and such of the Fancy as wished to be 
 
24 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 spectators, were merely clirected to em- 
 barK at certain points and follow the 
 combatants' boats. Though the previ- 
 ous evening had threatened unfavorable 
 weather, the sun rose unobscured and 
 warm, and as early as seven in the 
 morning, the river swarmed with hete- 
 rogenous thousands, waiting for their 
 respective "locomotives," canvassing 
 meanwhile, the merits of either comba- 
 tant, and speculating upon the results of 
 the day. 
 
 At 9 o'clock all were afloat, and the 
 Westchester, [Sullivan's boat.] Napoleon 
 [Bell's] Saratoga, Superior, Wave, Wil- 
 liamsburgh, Boston, Wm. Youngs, and 
 Jacob Bell, with their heaped up masses, 
 rocking to and fro in the stream, looked 
 like some infernal cortege seeking the 
 waters of the Styx, or a savage eruption 
 bursting forth for ravage and for plunder. 
 
 Sullivan, who from the "toss', had the 
 right of selection, chose Hart's Island, 
 [about 20 miles from New York city,] 
 and at half past ten the whole flotilla 
 lay abreast of it. Here a serious diffi- 
 culty presented itself in the fact that 
 there was no dock or other landing 
 place, and the long, shallow shelving 
 shore made it dangerous for the heavily 
 laden vessels to approach too near. The 
 only mode of reaching land was by the 
 medium of small boats, but many of the 
 ardent amphibii, unable to wait their te- 
 dious turn, plunged headlong into the 
 water and swam to shore. Thus gra- 
 dually disembarked, the party streamed 
 in one dense line in a N. E. course 
 across the Island, and resembled, as they 
 picked their devious way along, the 
 writhings of a monstrous snake. 
 
 The spot appeared to us peculiarly 
 unfit to the business on hand. There 
 was no available landing place ; the 
 whole surface of the island is covered 
 with a long, rank grass and stunted 
 Ihorny shrubbery, growing in a soil of 
 loose shifting sand. Even the field of 
 fight, a natural arena comprising the 
 only available spot on its surface, was 
 of a comparatively circumscribed size, 
 and though covered with a firmer soil, 
 was " lumpy " and uneven. Worse than 
 all, the ring, instead of being surrounded 
 by a natural acclivity for the advantage 
 of spectators, stands in the centre of an 
 
 almost even plain, and thus robbed four 
 fifths of the horde of even so much as a 
 glimpse of the contest. These disad- 
 vantages were at once apparent, and 
 from the moment of arrival there com- 
 menced " a scene of rude commotion " 
 and ferocious struggle for the ring. Four 
 times was a large outer circle made, and 
 as often did the wild and insane savages 
 break it in. For ourselves, in the first 
 struggle, we weie fortunate enough to 
 obtain a hold of the rope ; and conclud- 
 ing by this that we were in a streak of 
 luck, determined to " rush i7," and in 
 each succeeding struggle were equally 
 successful. At last, with our knees 
 forced devotionally two or three inches 
 in the soil, our shoulders bearing the 
 weight and press of three or four sweaty 
 proximitants, with the sun pouring down 
 his fiercest vertical rays upon our un- 
 covered caput, and boiling the effluvia 
 thrown off from the neighboring bodies 
 into a floating lava of most execrable 
 odor, we saw the gladiators enter the 
 ring. 
 
 THE MEN. 
 
 At half-past one the men confronted 
 each othej. Sullivan looked in prime 
 condition. His flesh was clear, his man- 
 ner gay, and his air confident. He was 
 the picture of a pugilist — small gladia- 
 torial head — quick, bright eye — dial, 
 which from the boldness of its angles 
 and the tightness of its flesh appeared 
 to be a mask of bone — round — deep in 
 the chest — clean limbed, and possessed 
 altogether of a frame which gives re- 
 markable indications of activity and 
 strength. 
 
 Bell did not Vear the same appear- 
 ance of gaiety and confidence. He en- 
 tered the ring with a half careless, half 
 reluctant swagger, which showed that 
 he was not perfectly at ease, and to our 
 mind, his cap did not follow his oppo- 
 nents quick eviough in answer to the cus- 
 tomary challenge. He is taller than Sul- 
 livan by an inch and a half, but not so 
 faultlessly cut out. His chest is not so 
 well developed or head so well set, and 
 though carrying ten pound more weight 
 we should call Sullivan (in a pugilistic 
 sense) the heaviest man, for he has that 
 weight in his fighting points which Bell 
 has in his Ion? slender legs. A singu- 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 25 
 
 lar indication was given, in shaking 
 hands, of the diffcrcnco of breedini? and 
 manners between certain classes of Eng- 
 lisli and American society. Sullivan 
 took his opponent's hand and gave a 
 short, careless jerk of his nob at him — 
 ho was but the prize fighter — while Bell, 
 who has been Americanized by his Idng 
 residence among us, gracefully bent his 
 head, and gave a courtly smile — he 
 would be thought a gentleman. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Bell won the flip for the choice of 
 position and stationed himself on the 
 lower side of the ring with the sun on 
 his back. He was attended by Ken- 
 sett, of Baltimore, and McGke. Sul- 
 livan was waited upon by his old assist- 
 ants. Ford and Countiiy McCleestek. 
 Both were dressed in light net breeches 
 and stockings, and blue belts spotted 
 with white. 
 
 Round 1st.— Time was called and both 
 came cheerfully up to the scratch.— 
 They shook hands again slightly. Bell 
 very cautiously, as if fearful of a rough 
 return for his politeness, and then 
 squared for the combat. The rude mur- 
 murs of the turbulent multitude were 
 at once hushed as death. Not a breath 
 was heard. Scarcely a leaf was seen 
 to stir. The primeval silence of that 
 solitary spot was never more profound. 
 In the centre of that vast arena stood the 
 combatants — two bold men— confront- 
 ing each other in full position, with 
 momentary awe, and gathering their 
 energies for the terrific struggle. Di- 
 rectly behind, stood the seconds of each, 
 their forms slightly bent, their arms 
 unconsciously outstretched and watch- 
 ing every movement of the principals 
 with a feverish anxiety. The whole 
 formed such a picture as one may sel- 
 dom see. At length Sullivan broke the 
 spell and imperceptibly advanced. He 
 is an old general and knows the advan- 
 tage of fighting in the enemy's country. 
 Bell cautiously retreated and in answer 
 -to a feint showed his wariness by a start 
 as rapid as electricity. At length Sul- 
 livan edged him out of his advantage 
 of the sun, and getting it full in Bell's 
 eyes, let drive a straight forward blow, 
 which took effect • under the left ogle. 
 
 Bell countered at the same time and 
 caught his opponent on the cheek bone ; 
 then followed two or three rapid ex- 
 changes, after which Bell rushed in, 
 and at the end of a short struggle, Sul- 
 livan threw him handsomely and fell 
 on him. 
 
 " Then rung from earth to sky one wild hurrah !" 
 mingled with clapping of hands and 
 various other expressions of wild ap- 
 plause. Bell rose smilingly and went 
 to his corner, with a slight discoloration 
 under the eye, upon which some of 
 Sully's friends shrieked out a claim to 
 the "first blood." 
 
 Round 2d. — Both came merrily up, 
 their glossy skins unsullied by the pre- 
 vious scuffle. Yankee, who had now 
 felt his man, determined on sharp fight- 
 ing. He went right to work, got a sharp 
 body blow and stopped a wicked return. 
 Bell lallied, closed and pressed liim to 
 the ropes ; then ensued a short violent 
 struggle, which ended in both flying 
 through the ropes and falling hard, 
 nearly side by"^ide. Bell rose and re- 
 turned to the ring, while Sullivan lay 
 with his eyes closed and apparently 
 insensible. He was lifted and carried 
 to his corner with his head drooping 
 languidly and even while undergoing 
 sponging, &c., betrayed no sign of con- 
 sciousness — a deep finesse. Many who 
 did not know where to have him, cried 
 out, " Ah, ha ! he'll never come to 
 time !" 
 
 Round 3d. — When " time" was called 
 Sullivan slowly rose and walked heavily 
 to the mark ; but when there and con- 
 fronted with his enemy, as quick as 
 lightning, he "cast his nighted color 
 off" and stood the very incarnation of 
 the spirit of mischief. He led off 
 amid cries of " Ony luk at the div- 
 il!" from some admiring Patlanders. 
 
 Round 4th. Billy opened the ball 
 v/ith a well-meant right-hander, but 
 was stopped, and stopped one himself in 
 return. He then got in a heavy body 
 blow, which carried his man away three 
 or four feet. Sully came back, wicked- 
 ly pursing his mouth, and letting fly 
 with his left, caught his man under the 
 left eye, drawing blood this time, sure. 
 A clinch, and Bell down. 
 
 Round 5th. Sully first at it, made 
 
26 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 Bell take a brisk circuit to his corner, 
 and when there planted his left hand- 
 somely. Bell rushed hotly in, pressed 
 him to the ropes, and by a powerful ex- 
 ertion threw him outside — both down. 
 Round 5th. Bell a leelle excited, com- 
 menced warmly, and went in right and 
 left, amid the acclamations of the crowd, 
 keeping Sully busy stopping, and afford- 
 ing no chance for a return. At last 
 Sully rallied, but it was no go ; Billy 
 forced him back, got in a sounding body 
 blow, and pressed him to the ropes in a 
 close. " Let me go, Billy," said Sulli- 
 van, faintly, as he stood with Bell's arm 
 around his neck, at a slight disadvantage 
 near the ropes ; " let me go, Billy ; I can 
 stand it no longer ; Fm a going to give 
 in !" Bell credulously yielded and turn- 
 ed towards his corner, but no sooner 
 had he exposed his unprotected side, 
 than Sullivan let drive a right-handed 
 hit, catching him in the region of the 
 ear. Bell wheeled around and hit short, 
 when he caught it again. A clinch fol- 
 lowed, and Sullivan threw him in su- 
 perb style. 
 
 Round 7th. Bell came up with his 
 countenance somewhat " chafed,'''' — the 
 upper part of his dial was quite ci/e-ras- 
 cible, his nose inflamed, his lip cushion- 
 ed, and the war paint trickling [though 
 scantily] down his chin. This was Sul- 
 ly's round all through. Bell down. 
 
 Round 8th. Sully had it all his own 
 way again until Bell rushed in, and 
 threw him. 
 
 Round 9th. Sully led hotly off, mena- 
 cing mischief; Billy abruptly retreated, 
 and in an attempted rally from the ropes, 
 slipped, and fell. 
 
 Round 10th. Beautiful fighting! Sully 
 got in some sounders, which were fol- 
 lowed by rapid and heavy exchanges. 
 The Yankee then fibbed him to the 
 ropes, and by a splendid hit, drove him 
 through, clean. 
 
 Round 1 1th. Bell's ogles in bad bread, 
 and his nose bleeding freely. He led 
 off, got in a heavy hit, staved off a sharp 
 rally, clinched, and received a heavy 
 throw 
 
 Round 12th.— Bell, with his left ogle 
 nearly closed, and in solemn black, 
 went in well-pressed Sully, who cau- 
 
 tiously sparred away, but wh« could not 
 stop the visitation of three or four good 
 blows. Sully rallied, got in a terrific 
 blow on the eye, and then rushed in- 
 both down. 
 
 Round 13th.-Both of Bell's peepers 
 nearly closed. Sully led off, but was 
 stopped— a rally^-a close— a fierce strug- 
 gle at the ropes, which ended by Billy 
 throwing his man over. 
 
 Round 14th. -Smart exchanges. Bell 
 hitting beautifully right and left, and 
 Sully on the retreat— a wild rush and 
 close by Bell, who caught his man in 
 his arms and tried to heave him over 
 again-no go ; Sully seized the rope, and 
 locked him fast-they were then taken 
 off and carried to their corners, and loud 
 applause for Bell. 
 
 Round 15th- All Sullivan's. Bell 
 down heavily. 
 
 Round 16th.— Bell came up slow and 
 shy— Sully planted his warlike mauley 
 on Billy's snuff-box, on which Billy 
 closed and was heavily thrown. 
 
 Round 17th. — A rally — a clinch— a^ 
 short struggle at the ropes, and an equal 
 fall over them. 
 
 Round I8th.— Ineffective exchanges,— 
 considerable pantomiming, but nothing 
 done— a clinch, and Bell down. 
 
 Round 19th.— Billy led off, but was 
 stopped, and caught a return upon his 
 gory nose— smart exchanges— close, and 
 struggle at the ropes— Sully ending it by 
 tossing him beautifully over. 
 
 Round 20th.— It was now apparent to 
 everyone, as indeed it had been several 
 rounds before, that Bell could not suc- 
 cessfully contend against his experi- 
 enced adversary. Sully came up smil- 
 ing, and apparently fresh, while Bell , 
 was dreadfully punished, wavering, and 
 unsteady. Sully let fly with his left 
 with terrific effect, completely distract- 
 ing his enemy, who managed, however, 
 on a rally, to make two or three good but 
 light returns. A clinch, and Bell heavily 
 thrown. 
 
 Round 21st. — Bell came up groggy, 
 and scarcely able to see — caught it all 
 over, and in a close was badly thrown. 
 Round 22d. — Bell failing fast— caught 
 it severely right and left, and went down 
 hopelessly with a stunning blow. 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 27 
 
 Round 23d. — Bell gone, Sully put in 
 three severe cuts, and Bell went heavily 
 to the ground. Cries of " he's gone !" 
 "Take him out!" 
 
 Round 24th. — On time being called, 
 Bell couldn't come, and Sully still fresh, 
 and scarcely hurt, stepped up and 
 claimed the fight, after a contest of 38 
 minutes. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 Although there was some handsome 
 fighting in the above contest, it cannot 
 be callod a good fight Sullivan's quali- 
 ties and admirable generalship, made it 
 too much on one side. He is a, fighting 
 man in the true and full sense of the 
 word— light in the scale, and heavy in 
 the field ; strong, agile, quick, cunning, 
 capable, a perfect master of his science; 
 and, if the expression may be used, an 
 intellectual fighter ; for he is continual- 
 ly fighting in his head, and calculating 
 the chances and results of every manceu- 
 vre. Bell committed many errors. His 
 first and most gross blunder — and in- 
 deed, if he saw Secor's fight, an inex- 
 cusable one— was in giving his antagon- 
 ist the whole ring. Instead of fighting on 
 his opponent's ground, and having a 
 clear field to retreat, if necessary, he 
 took a retreating position from the start, 
 suffered himself to be driven in the face 
 of the sun, and forced into a corner on 
 the defensive, in momentary danger of 
 being pressed on the ropes, and thus 
 crippled, " cabined, cribbed, confined/' 
 by his own folly, he fought in a 12 foot 
 ring, while his antagonist had a 48 foot 
 one. No experienced general will fight 
 on his own ground if he can help it, 
 and the first inch that Bell gave, when 
 Sullivan was feeling him, exposed his 
 timidity, or, to use a lighter term, his 
 ignorance. Had he presented a deter- 
 mined front, and insisted on a forward 
 movement, he would have kept the sun, 
 retained possession of his ground, 
 changed Sullivan's confidence into cau- 
 tion, and made the fight a longer and 
 better, if not successful one. Bell 
 though a beautiful sparrer, is not a good 
 fighter. He is not equal to emergencies 
 — seldom follows up his advantages 
 well, and lets many a good opportunity 
 tlip. In the third round [if Sully was 
 
 not shamming to draw him on] he might 
 have won the fight, instead of which 
 he passed the pr(fit to his adversary. 
 Mere weight, strength, and science, do 
 not make the pugilist. Some of the 
 best powers of the prize fighter are in 
 the head. He must have an instinctive 
 love for strife, with the rare accompani- 
 ment of a clear, cool, calculating head, 
 and a prompt perception of all the ad- 
 vantages and dangers of his situation. 
 A man does not reason in a situation of 
 imminent danger. He acts upon in- 
 stinct. " Instinct is a great matter."' 
 By the above remarks we do not mean 
 to impugn Bell's courage ; on the con- 
 trary, we believe him to be a man of 
 true metal, but of little knowledge. He 
 might have been successful with most 
 any other man of his weight, but is pe- 
 culiarly unfitted to this antagonist. — 
 There were other things against him. 
 It was his first fight. The immense 
 concourse was enough to Awe and abash 
 him, and, unlike Sullivan, who went to 
 win " sure," he^ went to win if he could. 
 
 The defeat of Bell caused great dis- 
 satisfaction among his friends, as it was 
 thought he could have won the fight 
 had he followed up his advantages, for 
 it was feared by the backers of Sullivan, 
 while Bell had him on the ropes, that he 
 would be forced to " give in." Tho 
 stratagem adopted by Sullivan saved 
 him, and assisted materially in changing 
 the whole aspect of the battle. The 
 well-known cunning of his opponent, 
 should have induced Bell not to place 
 any dependance in Sullivan's talk, but 
 should have stimulated him to continue 
 to punish his man whilst he had him in 
 his power. Had he done so, the victory 
 would have been with him. Once out 
 of the uncomfortable position in which 
 he had been placed, Sullivan felt him- 
 self a new man, and his lucky escape 
 made him more cautious in regard to his 
 future movements, and he felt satisfied 
 hat he could easily win, having fully 
 
28 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 ascertained the weak points of his ad- 
 versary. 
 
 The opponents of Sullivan were now 
 in no better luck than before the battle, 
 and they were at a loss where to look 
 for a champion, for they were bound to 
 " take down" the Yankee. The fighting 
 fever was at its height, at this time, and 
 great excitement was manifested as to 
 the coming fight between Lilly and Mc- 
 Coy. The battle between Sullivan and 
 Bell took place on the 29th of August, 
 1842, and the fight between Lilly and 
 McCoy was announced to take place on 
 the 13th of September, just two weeks 
 after. The victory of Sullivan gave in- 
 creased confidence to the friends and 
 backers of McCoy, more especially as 
 Sullivan lent his aid and experience in 
 bringing McCoy forward in good condi- 
 tion, and instilling into his mind many 
 little bits of advice which he knew 
 would be useful to McCoy on the battle 
 field. 
 
 The friends of Lilly were not idle. 
 They used every exertion to train him 
 " in the way he should go," and as the 
 result proved, their attention had not 
 been thrown away. 
 
 Lilly and McCoy met at Hastings, up 
 the North River,on the 13th of September, 
 1842, and after a sharply contested bat- 
 tle of 2 hours and 43 minutes, in which 
 time one hundred and nineteen rounds 
 were fought, time was called for the 
 combatants to begin the 120th round, 
 tut McCoy was deaf to the call — he 
 was stretched upon the ground in the 
 agonies of death, and there within the 
 prize-ring, and with his young compan- 
 ions around him, unable to render him 
 any assistance, he suffered the severest 
 tortures, and after lingering for about 
 fifteen minutes, he passed from life into 
 
 eternity. The vast assemblage became 
 panic-struck, and each one seemed anx- 
 ious to leave the spot. 
 
 In a short time, the scene of this fa- 
 tal and terrifying encounter was left to 
 its usual quietude, and no one would 
 have supposed that this beautiful spot of 
 ground had been stained by the blood of 
 a human-being. 
 
 Lilly succeeded in making his escape, 
 but Sullivan, who was on the ground 
 during the fight, was in a short time 
 after arrested, and after being tried as 
 an accessory to the murder of McCoy, 
 he was convicted by the authorities of 
 West-chester County, the county in 
 which the battle was fought, and was 
 subsequently sentenced to an imprison- 
 ment of two years. Part of this lime 
 he served out, but through the iaterces- , 
 sion of his friends, the Governor of New 
 York granted him a pardon, on condi- 
 tion that he would engage in no more 
 prize-fights. 
 
 Prize fighting, owing to the fatal ter- 
 mination of the Lilly and McCoy fight, 
 was thus brought to a full stop, for a 
 long time, at least ; and most of the fra- 
 ternity were compelled to leave for parts 
 unknown. A few years, however, suf- 
 ficed to calm the public mind, and as 
 Sullivan had been pardoned, and further 
 proceedings in reference to the fatal 
 fight quashed, the absentees regained 
 confidence, and one by one returned to 
 the great Empire City. Lilly did not 
 return, but kept out of the way, and on 
 the 15th of January, 1847, turned up at 
 Natchez, where he had a battle with an 
 English pugilist named Harris Birchall. 
 They fought for S500 a side, and Birch- 
 all was defeated in 27 rounds, occupying 
 55 minutes. Several other battles had 
 taken place, and as Sullivan had kepi 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 2y 
 
 ^uiet a number of years, it was thought 
 all remembrance of the past had been 
 forgotten. Aceordin gly, about the com- 
 mencement of the year 1847 an English 
 pugilist named Robert Caunt, brother 
 to the English Champion, Ben Caunt, 
 who had been in this country a short 
 time, attracted the attention of the Sul- 
 livan party, and as it was supposed 
 Caunt would afford a fair chance for the 
 display of Sullivan's tactics, a match 
 was concluded in the month of January, 
 between the famous Yankee Sullivan 
 and the English Champion's brother. 
 Immense sums of money were wagered 
 on the result of the contest, not only in 
 this country, but throughout Great Brit- 
 ain, where the remembrance of Sulli- 
 van's fight w4th Hammer Lane had 
 rendered him notorious. In England 
 it was 'confidently hoped and expected 
 that the younger Caunt would be able 
 to wipe out the stain caused by the de- 
 feat of the irrent Hnmmor Lane. In this 
 country the feeling was rather in favor 
 of Sullivan, as he fought under the 
 name of "Yankee," and thus enlisted 
 the sympathies of the people. The 
 Sons of Erin, however, were in extacies 
 at the prospect of a fight between one 
 of their own countrymen and an Eng- 
 lishman, and were no way slow in back- 
 ing their favorite to the last copper in 
 their possession. The annexed report 
 we copy from the New York Herald, of 
 May 14, 1847. 
 
 The Prize Fight of Sullivan and 
 Caunt for $300. 
 
 This affair, which has caused so 
 much excitement in the sporting world 
 for the last four months, both in this 
 country and Great Britain, was decided 
 on Tuesday last. May 1 1th, in the neigh- 
 borhood of Harper's Ferry, Virginia. 
 
 For several days previous to the fight 
 
 numbers of strange faces were noticed 
 in the vicinity, and the curiosity of the 
 inhabitants to know what brought them 
 thither, was brought to the highest 
 pitch of excitement. Caunt and his 
 seconds had arrived there a few days 
 previous to the contest, with a view of 
 examining the localities and concilia- 
 ting the people, as opposition to such 
 proceedings was anticipated. They 
 found very little opposition however, as 
 the residents were all anxious to wit- 
 ness the sport, and it became the lead- 
 ing topic of conversation among all 
 classes of society, who waited with 
 anxiety to witness a man fight on the 
 improved English system. 
 
 On the arrival of the railroad train at 
 the depot on Monday, hundreds of the 
 patrons of the fistic art left the ears, and 
 were seen moving in every direction 
 through the town, endeavoring to se- 
 cure abodes for the coming night, which 
 they found no easy matter. 
 
 As night came on, crowds began to 
 congregate about the Hotels, and specu- 
 late on the events that were to be en- 
 acted on the subsequent day. At nine 
 o'clock the crowd dispersed, the Vir- 
 ginians to their homes, and the Stran- 
 gers to seek the beds they had previous- 
 ly engaged (which by the by, had been 
 let and re-let by their owners as often 
 as they were applied for), or to take the 
 chances of securing those belonging tc 
 other individuals. The scarcity of the 
 accommodations was so great that as 
 aften as many as ten persons were 
 crowded into a small room, while on the 
 floors of the parlors any quantity were 
 stretched out. 
 
 As soon as day dawned on the morn- 
 ing of the 1 1th, the people began to turn 
 out and assemble about the doors of the 
 hotel, to ascertain where the battle was 
 to be fought, although it was raining 
 tremendously at the time, fearful of dis- 
 appointment in not witnessing the affair. 
 The ground had been selected the night 
 previous, and both parties had agreed 
 to fight at an early hour in the day. It 
 had been understood by the principals 
 that the commandant of the armory in- 
 tended to interfere and stop the proceed- 
 ing, supposing that they had chosen the 
 ground for that purpose in Jefferson 
 
30 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 county ; -which would take the work- 
 men in the foundries away from their 
 occupations, and being then determined 
 to prevent it, he procured a warrant 
 for the belligerents. This was ascer- 
 tained from some of the peace officials 
 of the neighborhood, who were them- 
 selves anxious to witness a pugilistic 
 encounter of the latest fashion. The 
 commissaries were started o.n a tour 
 of exploration into Lowden county, the 
 next adjoining, in search of a battle 
 field, out of the jurisdiction of Jefferson 
 county. They soon returned, and an- 
 nounced that they had found a suitable 
 place, where the civil authorities would 
 offer no obstacles, as they were inclined 
 to witness the latest improvements of 
 this kind of warfare — the science not 
 having yet reached Virginia. This in- 
 telligence was received by all parties 
 with much satisfaction, and by eight 
 o'clock all were on the march for the 
 scene of action. 
 
 The ground selected for the fight was 
 in a beautiful meadow, as level as a 
 parlor floor, at the foot of one of the 
 BlxiQ Ridge mountains, the Potomac 
 river circling round it. On the oppo- 
 site side of the Potomac was the State 
 of Maryland, which, in case of a visit 
 from the peace-makers, might be reach- 
 ed in a few moments, the river being 
 fordable at that point, and business re- 
 newed and settled before the majesty of 
 the law could be apprised of the pugil- 
 istic proceedings of their uninvited vis- 
 itors. 
 
 The stakes were pitched soon after 
 eight o'clock, both parties being anxious 
 to have the affair over at an early hour, 
 so that they might be able to depart in 
 the twelve o'clock train. A twenty- 
 four feet ring was erected, around which 
 there was an outer one about two hun- 
 dred feet in circumference. 
 
 The assemblage placed themselves in 
 an orderly manner around the outer ring, 
 a few countrymen acting as ring keep- 
 ers, and appearing disposed to do every- 
 thing in their power to ensure fair play 
 and good order. 
 
 There were a number of small houses 
 
 at the base of the mountain, the roofs 
 
 and porches of whicn were filled ^ith 
 
 nxious gazers ; and away up the 
 
 mountains, as far as the eye could dis- 
 cern, were seen human beings, who 
 were endeavoring to witness the perfor- 
 mances, without being themselves re- 
 cognized by their neighbors ; their natu- 
 ral inclinations leading them to witness 
 scenes which their position in society 
 compelled them publicly to denounce. 
 
 There were probably six or seven 
 hundred spectators, altogether, who 
 came from all parts of the United States, 
 some of whom had travelled three thou- 
 sand miles to witness the fight. 
 
 Everything being in readiness, the 
 combatants were called for, the specta- 
 tors not being willing to stand in the 
 rain longer than necessary. Sullivan 
 was the first to make his appearance on 
 the ground, when he threw his cap into 
 the ring, following it, and sitting down 
 on the knee of one of his seconds, appa- 
 rently anxious to get at work. In a few 
 minutes Gaunt approached the ring, and 
 hurled in his hat, st-».pped over the ropes, 
 walked up to Sullivan, and shook hands 
 with him ; after which he took his seat 
 on the opposite side of the ring. Sulli- 
 van's weight was 150 pounds ; Caunt's, 
 164 pounds. The former was waited 
 upon by Tom O'Donnel and John Lyng, 
 and Gaunt by James Sanford and Mason 
 Bennett. The betting on the ground 
 was very limited, notwithstanding tha 
 great odds offered on Sullivan, 100 to 40 
 being the standard. There were a few 
 bets that Sullivan would win it in less 
 than an hour. 
 
 The preliminaries being settled, at 
 three minutes after nine o'clock the 
 men commenced stripping off their un- 
 necessary apparel, and their respective 
 colors were hung up, that of Sullivan 
 being green, while that of Gaunt was 
 blue, with white spots. All being rea- 
 dy. Gaunt asked Sullivan if they had 
 not better begin ; when both men, with 
 their seconds, came to the scratch, shook 
 hands, [ten minutes after nine o'clorjk,] 
 went back to their respective corners, 
 and awaited the call of time for 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round 1st. At the call of time, both 
 men walked to the scratch, and put 
 themselves into positions of defence ; 
 but Sullivan was so eager to commence 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 31 
 
 work, that he crossed the line, and 
 walked up to Gaunt, his hands well up. 
 As he reached Caunt, the latter stepped 
 back, at the same time hitting out with 
 his left hand, which fell lightly on the 
 breast of Sullivan, and then took anoth- 
 er back step, Sullivan following. Sul- 
 livan hit with his left, which Caunt 
 stopped very finely ; but Sullivan 
 stepped in closer to him, and succeeded 
 in planting a sharp hit on his mouth, 
 which started the blood in profusion. 
 (First blood wa.** claimed for him by his 
 seconds ) Caunt had by this time 
 reached the ropes near his corner 
 and he made an effort to fight his way 
 out ; he struck out left and right at Sul- 
 livan's head. The most of his blows 
 were stopped, and those that reached 
 home made but very little impression, 
 the blows of the other party telling at 
 every effort. They then fought to a 
 close, when Sullivan succeeded in get- 
 ting him on his hip, and threw him 
 heavily, failing upon him. (This event, 
 so much unexpected, dampened the 
 hopes of Caunt's friends, they relying 
 much on his wrestling capabilities.) 
 The round was a very short one, and 
 the work on both sides very sharp, but 
 much in favor of Sullivan. 
 
 Round 2nd. — At the call of time, the 
 men sprang quickly up from the knees 
 of their seconds, and hastened to the 
 scratch, which Sullivan again crossed, 
 and made up to Caunt, from whose 
 mouth blood was running rapidly. 
 Caunt led off as Sullivan approached 
 him, and fought away with his left and 
 right hands; Sullivan rushing after him 
 Slopping his blows, and dealing out in 
 return some of his beauty destroyers. 
 They then drew apart for a moment, 
 came up again lor mischief, Caunt this 
 time stopping cleverly a number of Sul- 
 livan's tremendous hits ; Caunt retieat- 
 ed, striking Sullivan twice on the head, 
 and taking a couple of hard ones in re- 
 turn. They made a turn round, Sulli- 
 van's back coming near the ropes ; and 
 as he rushea at Caunt, apparently full 
 of venom, and determined to make the 
 fight as short as possible, Caunt man- 
 aged to get his right hand to tell on his 
 head, staggering him for a moment to 
 
 the ropes ; but Caunt did not follow 
 him in time to profit by this advantage, 
 for Sullivan recovered himself, and was 
 at him again, shooting in his left and 
 right fearfully, on the face of Caunt, 
 who fought on, doing ail he knew, until 
 they closed; when in the struggle for 
 the fall, Sullivan fell through the ropes, 
 and Caunt hung on them. (The ropes 
 were very loose, and gave way so easily 
 that Sullivan might rather attribute his 
 fall to them, than to any manoeuvring of 
 his opponent.) Sullivan had a great 
 advantage in this round, and it was 
 manifest that he was so much superior 
 to Caunt as a fighter, that the chances 
 of the latter were small, without an ac- 
 cident. If the odds were 100 to 40 at 
 the commencement, they were now 100 
 to 10, so much advantage had Sullivan 
 already gained. 
 
 Round 3rd. — As soon as time was 
 up, Sullivan jumped from his second's 
 knees and quickly walked to the scratch. 
 Caunt likewise appeared in a hurry ; 
 and as soon as th-ey got in hitting dis- 
 tance, fighting commenced, when some 
 very fine stopping was made by both 
 parties, Caunt would hit and retreat, 
 Sullivan rapidly following him and 
 nailing him severely in the face, which 
 was swelling very fast, and the blood 
 flowing out of the openings very freely. 
 They struck three times together, coun- 
 ter hits, in the face ; Sullivan's blows 
 were very hard, while those of Caunt, 
 except the first one, amounted almost to 
 nothing ; the first one, however, did 
 make a slight opening on Sullivan's 
 forehead. A rally then ensued and 
 Sullivan threw Caunt and fell beside 
 him. Caunt's face was now dreadfully 
 mangled ; the left cheek puffed up to an 
 immense size, and a hole under the 
 right eye was visible that had been 
 made in this round ; in fact, a more se- 
 vere and effective round has been sel- 
 dom witnessed, and all agreed that this 
 round was the best and sharpest that 
 they ever saw Sullivan fight. All 
 were surprised at his skill and activity. 
 He made some joking remarks during 
 the round about Caunt's appearance, 
 but they were not much heeded by the 
 other. It appeared to all that there 
 
33 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 was no chance for Caimt, and his 
 friends began to despair. An accident 
 was his only hope. 
 
 Round 4th. — The word "time" had 
 hardly passed from the lips when Sulli- 
 van was on his feet and at the scratch, 
 determined to make sliort work of it. 
 Cauntcame up,too, evidently determined 
 to do something to try and lurn the tide 
 which was setting strongly against him. 
 He rushed at Sullivan and was met with 
 a Hush left-handed hit on the upper 
 lip, and a hard right-hander on 
 the side of the head ; but nothing 
 daunted, he dashed out both hands, hit- 
 ting Sullivan twice, although without 
 much damage. A sharp rally then en- 
 sued, and as they closed, Sullivan slip- 
 ped his foothold and fell on the ground, 
 Gaunt, on his feet, standing over him i 
 he then turned and walked over to his 
 seconds. (Theheadof Gaunt was by this 
 time very much disfigured, and he ap- 
 peared to be somewhat stupilied from 
 the tremendous hits he had received on 
 the side of his head). In this round he 
 made a desperate lunge with his right 
 hand at Sullivan's body, but Sullivan 
 dropped l^is arm and stopped it. The 
 blow cracked like a whip, and had it 
 reached its destination it would un- 
 doubtedly have done considerable dam- 
 age. Nothing had occurred thus far to 
 revive the drooping fortune of Gaunt, and 
 it seemed more and more certain, that the 
 sooner the fight was brought to a close, 
 the safer it would be for the parties in- 
 terested. 
 
 Round 5th. — On coming to the scratch 
 this round, SulliVan fell back, evidently 
 to draw Gaunt after him, but it would 
 not do : he then went up and hit at him 
 and as soon as Gaunt made fight he re- 
 treated again, when finding these tactics 
 did not take, he came up and dashed 
 away at his opponent, who in turn gave 
 way, Sullivan following him and pun- 
 ishing him severely. Gaunt turned his 
 head to spliout some blood, which Sul- 
 livan took advantage of and struck hira 
 a tremendous .hit on the front of the 
 face, and rushed at him with his left 
 and righ-hauders, hitting very severely. 
 Gaunt rallied and caught Sullivan on 
 the left cheek, and another hit on the 
 
 side of the head. Sullivan dashed at 
 him. Gaunt retreated with his hands 
 very low down, and appeared for the 
 moment to forget what his b^siness was 
 in the ring : his seconds shouting at him, 
 he roused himself. Sullivan fought 
 him to the ropes, where, in a rally and 
 close, both of them, from the loose man- 
 ner the ropes were put up, fell over on 
 the outer side. Both men were quickly 
 picked up and carried to their respec- 
 tive corners. Gaunt now seemed in a 
 state of bewilderment; his head had 
 been so often and so severely hit that it 
 was no wonder that he was stupid, and 
 some of his friends who thought more of 
 the man than they did of the money 
 they had staked on him, wished the af- 
 fair brought to a close. 
 
 Round Gth. — At the call of time, Sul- 
 livan was quickly on his feet, making 
 a rush to meet Gaunt, and as soon as he 
 got near him ho went to work with both 
 hands. Gaunt giving some and taking 
 much. Sullivan rushed in so desper- 
 ately at Gaunt — who kept backing out, 
 hitting as he retreated, his blows when 
 they did reach, doing but little injury — 
 that he gave him no time to consider 
 what to do ; he drove him to the ropes, 
 where they had a struggle, and Sulli- 
 van, supposing he had knocked him 
 down, turned to go to his corner ; but 
 his attention being called to Gaunt, who 
 had staggered to the ropes and who was 
 leaning on them apparently unconscious, 
 he rushed back and made a terrific 
 lunge at Gaunt with his left, which 
 Gaunt dodged : Sullivan struck him 
 with his left hand, and Gaunt got hold of 
 him, and they had a struggle and both 
 went down. (The fighting in this round 
 was even more severe than any of the 
 others, and the rapidity with which 
 Sullivan fought astonished his most 
 sanguine friends, even those who be- 
 lieve that his match is not in the world 
 of his weight. At the end of the 
 round there was a burst of applause 
 from all sides of the ring, the countrv 
 people joining in.) 
 
 Round 7th. — As Gaunt rose from the 
 knees of his second, he appeared un- 
 steady on his feet, while, on the con- 
 trary, Sullivan seemed as fresh and vig- 
 
VANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 93 
 
 orous as he was at the beLrinninfi — and 
 as he came near Caunt he laughed at 
 him, and said sometliing about the dam 
 aged condition of his face. This seem- 
 ed to arouse Caunt. who opened the 
 fight, and at it they went, hit lor hit, 
 Sullivan drivin*,' him before him all 
 round the ring until they reached the 
 corner where the umpires were station- 
 ed, where Sullivan backed Caunt on 
 the ropes ; and the hitting on both sides 
 here was very sharp, but that of Caunt 
 was not stroni^ enough to beat him back, 
 and Sullivan punished h'm dreadfully. 
 They then closed and had a struggle on 
 the ropes, both of them hanging over 
 them, doing nothing for a moment; 
 after which they got away again, and 
 Caunt put his leg around Sullivan's to 
 throw him, holding him, at the same 
 time around the neck with his left hand. 
 Sullivan endeavored to extricate him- 
 self, and in the effort Caunt fell, and 
 " foul " was shouted out by the second 
 of Caunt, and one of the umpires ; ''fair," 
 shouted the other umpire, and the refe- 
 ree was appealed to. During this con- 
 fusion the word time was called by a 
 dozen voices, and Sullivan went up to 
 the scratch to renew the fight, and call- 
 ed for Caunt to come up ; but Caunt's 
 friends ordered him not to move from 
 his place, that he had won the fight. 
 Sullivan's attendants, after waiting 
 about sixteen seconds, took him in their 
 arms and passed him out of the ring, 
 claiming the fight for him. 
 
 At this time a rush was made around 
 the umpires ; and the reporter, believing 
 that in the melee other bumps might be 
 added to his head than the already 
 largely developed one of caution, mnde 
 the best of his way out of the throng, 
 and there awaited the issue. The fight 
 being ended, he repaired to the referee 
 and asked his decision, when he replied, 
 ' Sullivan has won the nght." 
 
 The fight lEfSted exactly twelve min- 
 utes. 
 
 The battle between Caunt and Sul- 
 livan terminated in a manner some- 
 what similar to the recent fight between 
 Morrissey and Sullivan. That Sullivan 
 had the best of the battle certainly none 
 can deny. Caunt disappointed the 
 
 hopes of his friends, who had expected 
 much better skill in the art, than he 
 displayed. Sullivan on the contrary, 
 seemed well up to the mark, and show- 
 ed his superiority over his more weighty 
 opponent. 
 
 There was a cessation of hostilities 
 at this time between the members of the 
 pugilistic fraternity, owing to the com- 
 mencement of the preliminary arrange- 
 ments for a grand set-to between Uncle 
 Sam and John Mexico. Those who had 
 been enemies in the ring before, were 
 now anxious to stand up together in be- 
 half of Uncle Sam, who had always 
 been a father to them. Sullivan, how- 
 ever, still kept the " fight" in him, ex- 
 pecting, no doubt that he would be call- 
 ed upon, after the war excitement was 
 over, to have "another little brush." 
 There was a bad feeling existing be- 
 tween the Sullivan party and the Hyer 
 party, more especially since the defeat 
 of Country McCleester by the youthful, 
 though rather dangerous pugilist, Tom 
 Hyer. The friends of Sullivan seemed 
 eager to bring the respective conquer- 
 ers of Caunt and McCleester into com- 
 petition in the ring, to see which was 
 the best' man. Hyer had no desire to 
 fight, yet was "always ready" to take 
 his own part and assist a friend when 
 needed. As he had before stated his 
 unwillingness to enter the ring for a 
 mere paltry sum of a few hundred dol- 
 lars, he still adhered to that determi- 
 nation, and all efforts to induce him to 
 change his mind were fruitless. Sul- 
 livan was anxious for an opportunity to 
 meet "Young America," but the amount 
 of money necessary to raise before the 
 match could be made operated against 
 him, and he was forced to let matters 
 rest for the time. It was evident, "how- 
 ever, that the different parties could not 
 
 a» 
 
34 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 exist in such a state of uncertainty, and 
 numerous little battles almost daily took 
 place between the friends of both men. 
 From this time out it was nothing but 
 talk, talk, talk, as to the respective mer- 
 its of Hyer and Sullivan. Sullivan at 
 this time kept a public house at No. 9 
 Chatham street. The National Police 
 Gazette, to which paper we are indebted 
 for the particulars of the great contest 
 between Hyer and Sullivan, says, in 
 speaking of Sullivan, and of the first 
 meeting of the men, that the spirit of 
 the gladiator was still strong within him, 
 [Sullivan,] and he could not restrain 
 himself from looking awry at Hyer 
 whenever he came in contact with him, 
 nor of indicating, in various significant 
 ways, that, notwithstanding that indi- 
 vidual's size, his youth, and length of 
 reach, he could " flax him out with very 
 little difficulty." In this spirit, and 
 what was worse, with too much spirit 
 in him, he one evening in April, 1848, 
 dropped into the splendid restaurant on 
 the corner of Broadway and Park Place, 
 and being off" his guard with the foolish 
 liquor in him, gave Hyer [who was 
 somewhat in the same condition] such 
 provocation that an immediate fight en- 
 sued. The story was soon told. The 
 conqueror of Hfimmer Lane, and there- 
 tofore invincible Sullivan, was beaten 
 into insensibility, and taken out of the 
 cellar, leaving Hyer cock of the walk. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to describe the 
 excitement which this event occasioned 
 in the public mind. For five or six 
 days, nothing else was talked of in all 
 circles, and for the corresponding nights 
 Broadway swarmed with the crowds 
 which concentrated from all quarters of 
 the town to catch a glance, while para- 
 ding from one drinking house to another, 
 
 of the man who had whipped Yanke© 
 Sullivan. The papers teemed with the 
 event, and the general expression seem- 
 ed one of gratification at the result 
 Sullivan's friends, however, took strong 
 objections to the manner in which his 
 overthrow had been accomplished, and 
 insisted that he had been taken at a 
 hopeless disadvantage. The other side 
 recriminated, of course, that such a 
 complaint was a mere vain pretence. 
 
 In the meantime both factions armed 
 themselves, and for a period of five 
 weeks, there was a momentary dread in 
 the minds of the peace loving, that sev- 
 eral lives would be lost by the collision 
 of the parties. It seems, ho A^ever, that 
 Mr. Sullivan took a second sober 
 thought, and being averse to bowie 
 knives or shooting irons, he concluded 
 to dictate a personal challenge, and to 
 that end and purpose, sent the following 
 card to the New York Herald, which 
 was published in that journal, on Wed- 
 nesday, the first of June, 1848. 
 
 A CARD. 
 
 About six weeks since, while in the 
 saloon on the corner of Park Place and 
 Broadway, in a condition rendering me 
 unable to defend myself against any at- 
 tack, I was assailed in a most cowardly 
 i manner, by a man of the name of Hyer. 
 On the strength of it, accounts of the 
 occurrence appeared in a number of the 
 newspapers, false in every particular, 
 and which must have been inserted by 
 Hyer himself, or his friends. If 1 had 
 been worsted in a fair fight, and by a 
 person who knew anything at all abou 
 fighting, or had the courage to fight as a 
 man, 1 should have taken no notice of 
 it ; but I consider it due to my friends, 
 to inform them in this way of the real 
 character of the occurrence. I am no 
 " Irish braggart" or " bully," although 
 I am an Irishman, and believe I can 
 show myself worthy of my country 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 85 
 
 whenever I am required. If there are 
 any who think they can make me 
 *' cry enough, like a whipped child," if 
 No. 9 Chatham street is not too far out 
 of the way, I will be happy to have them 
 call and make the experiment. As for 
 Hyer, I can " flax him out" without any 
 exertion. 
 
 JAMES SULLIVAN. 
 
 On the following day, Thursday, the 
 2d of June, 1848, the following brief re- 
 ply to the above card was published in 
 the Herald. 
 
 A REPLY. 
 
 Yesterday morning it was falsely 
 stated in one of the advertisements of 
 this paper, signed "James Sullivan," 
 that I had assailed him in an unjustifi- 
 able manner, and at a disadvantage, 
 about six weeks ago, in a saloon at the 
 corner of Park Place and Broadway. I 
 wish merely to state, that this fellow, 
 Sullivan, assaulted me, and that I chas- 
 tised him for it, as I can and shall do 
 again on similar provocation, to him or 
 any one else who improperly assails me. 
 I have only to add, that Mr. Sullivan 
 will find me always much readier to 
 meet him anywhere than in the news- 
 papers ; anywhere, however, I am his 
 master. Thomas Hyer. 
 
 These two letters, though sufficiently 
 belligerent in their tone, did not lead 
 immediately to the arrangement to 
 which both parties seemed desirous to 
 come, and two months more elapsed in 
 hostile traversing, in the hope to catch 
 each other in some chance melee. In 
 the first week in August, however, a 
 bar-room banter to Hyer, of S20, by one 
 of Sullivan's adherents, to the efiect 
 that he dared not make a match with 
 Sullivan, produced the requisite ar- 
 rangement. Hyer put up the twenty 
 dollars, and, in pursuance of the condi- 
 tions of the wager, a meeting was had 
 at Ford's tavern, at No. 28 Park Row, 
 by the friends and backers of both par- 
 ties, on the night of Monday, 7th Au- 
 
 gust. To win the twenty dollar banter, 
 therefore, Hyer stood ready to make a 
 match for S 10,000, or $5,000 a side, 
 and put down SlOO as a temporary for- 
 feit. Though the offer of such a tre- 
 mendous stake seemed to stagger the 
 friends of Sullivan not a little, they 
 nevertheless came boldly up to the 
 scratch, and the match was at once 
 agreed on. 
 
 As soon as this ceremony was over, 
 the following articles of agreement were 
 drawn up, or produced, and being duly 
 executed, became from that hour the 
 law for the contest : — 
 
 Articles of Agreement 
 
 Entered into this seventh day of August, 1848, 
 between James Sullivan and Thomas Hyer. 
 
 KULES TO BE GOVERNED BY. 
 
 The said James Sullivan agrees to 
 fight the said Thonvas Hyer a fair stand 
 up fight, half minute time, in a twenty- 
 four feet roped ring, according to the 
 new rules as laid down in the Fistiana 
 for 1848, by which rules the said Sulli- 
 van and Hyer hereby mutually agree to 
 be bound. 
 
 AMOUNT OP STAKE AND PLACE OP PIGHT. 
 
 The said fight shall be for the sum of 
 Five Thousand Dollars aside. The said 
 fight shall take place within the states 
 of Virginia or Maryland, or some other 
 place, if the parties can mutually agree 
 upon such other place. • 
 
 TO INCREASE OR LESSEN THE STAKE. 
 
 The fight can be made for a greater or 
 lesser sum than Five Thousand Dollars 
 aside, by mutual consent of the parties. 
 
 WITHIN SIX MONTHS. 
 
 The said fight shall take place within 
 six months from the date of these arti- 
 cles. 
 
 HOURS BETWEEN WHICH THE PIGHT SHALL 
 TAKE PLACE. 
 
 On the day on which the fight takes 
 place, each man shall be in the ring on 
 or belore 1 o'clock P. M., or at an earliei 
 hour if the parties mutually agree. 
 
36 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 PROVISION AGAINST INTERFERKNCE. 
 
 In. case of magisterial interference or 
 other interruption of the fight, which 
 the umpires shall deem fair cause for 
 adjourning the fight, the referee or stake 
 holder shall name the time and place for 
 the next meeting of the parties to decide 
 or terminate the fight. 
 
 Each man shall be attired suitably 
 for fair ring fighting. 
 
 KG ADVANTAGE. 
 
 No unfair ihoes or unfair means shall 
 be resorted vo during the fight or at the 
 termination thereof. 
 
 AGREEMENT TO GIVE NO INFORMATION. 
 
 It is hereby agreed, that no informa- 
 tion shall be given to any person, where- 
 by the authorities may interfere to stop 
 the fight. 
 
 CHOICE OF GROUND. 
 
 The party winning the choice of 
 ground for fighting, shall give the other 
 party ten days' notice of the place se- 
 lected for the fight, such information to 
 be fair and uaequivocal as to its where- 
 abouts. 
 
 C3NVEYANCE TO GROUND. 
 
 Should it be necessary to employ a 
 steamboat to convey theparties an4 their 
 friends to the place of fighting, and a 
 steamboat be chartered, the proceeds of 
 such boat shall be equally divided be- 
 tween the parties. 
 
 FIRST INSTALMENT. 
 
 Five Hundred Dollars aside (making 
 One Thousand Dollars) are now deposi- 
 ted in the hands of J — B — F — , in pur- 
 suance of Wie foregoing agreement. 
 
 SECOND INSTALMENT. 
 
 The next deposit of Five Hundred 
 Dollars aside to be put up at the house 
 of James Sullivan, No. 9 Chatham 
 street, in the hands of J. B. F., on Mon- 
 day evening, 21st of August, between 
 the hours of 8 and 10 P. M. 
 
 THIRD INSTALMENT. 
 
 On the 21st day of September, Seven 
 Hundred and Fifty Dollars aside to be 
 put up at the house of Ford & Phillips, 
 23 Park Row. 
 
 FOURTH INSTALMENT. 
 
 On the 21st day of October, Seven 
 Hundred and Fifty Dollars aside at No. 
 9 Chatharr street 
 
 FIFTH INSTALMENT. 
 
 On the 21st day of November, Seven 
 Hundred and Fifty Dollars a side, to be 
 put up at No. 28 Park Row. 
 
 SIXTH INSTALMENT. 
 
 On the*2lst of day December, Seven 
 Hundred and Fifty Dollars aside, to be 
 put up at No. 9 Chatham street. 
 
 The above mentioned deposits of 
 Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars aside, 
 to be put up at the places described be- 
 tween the hours of 8 and 10 P. M. 
 
 FINAL INSTALMENT. 
 
 The last and final deposit of One 
 Thousand Dollars aside, to I^q put up at 
 28 Park Pi.ow on the 8th day of January, 
 1849, between the hours of 8 and 10 P. 
 M. 
 
 FORFEIT. 
 
 Either party failing to comply with 
 the above conditions, shall forfeit the 
 money already down. 
 
 STAKEHOLDER. 
 
 All the sums above mentioned, to be 
 put up in the hands of J — B — F — , 
 who shall be empowered, in case of his 
 sickness or absence from the city, to 
 name or appoint a person to receive for 
 him the deposits. 
 
 RULES TO UMPIRES. 
 
 Each party shall furnish their respec- 
 tive umpires with a copy of " Fistiana." 
 
 NO ADVANTAGES. 
 
 It is distinctly understood that no un- 
 due advantage shall be taken by either 
 party ; but every tiansaction shall take 
 place in a fair business-like manner 
 
 REFEREE. 
 
 Each party shall choose an umpire, 
 and they, the umpires, shall choose a 
 referee, whose decision shall be final 
 and binding upon the parties. 
 
 STAKES. 
 
 The stakes not to be given up until 
 fairly won or lost, by a fight or by for- 
 feiture. In pursuance of this agreement, 
 the parties hereunto attach their names 
 Signed, F. M. for 
 
 James Sullivan. % 
 M. M. for '^ 
 
 Thos. Hyer 
 Witness— A. N. > 
 T. C. B. J 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 S7 
 
 These arrangements having been 
 made, and ratified with a general bump- 
 er of champagne, the parties separated, 
 and the public drew a long breath of re- 
 lief at having escaped tlie tlangcr of a 
 sircet slaughter which had so long been 
 threatened. The interest having now 
 taken a temperate and a legitimate di- 
 rection, rose higher than ever, and with 
 ihe New York community, divided the 
 excitement caused by the approaching 
 Presidential campaign. Both men, and 
 the backers of both, in the meanwhile 
 seemed to feel the highest confidence in 
 their respective causes, the best evi- 
 dence of which lies in the fact of the 
 promptness and regularity with which 
 the instalments of the monster wager 
 were put up. The long period set for 
 the training excited some surprise in the 
 general mind, but to the initiated it was 
 considered necessary, in order to correct 
 the irregularities of Hyer's mode of life, 
 and as an indulgence, which Sullivan 
 on his part required, so that he might 
 take, for a while, the light and gentle 
 discipline requisite to a man who had 
 trained so often before. 
 
 The men immediately made arrange- 
 ments for training, &c., and as the re- 
 porter for the Gazette gave a very faith- 
 ful report of the doings of each we give 
 his report verbatim. The first is a 
 description of a sparring exhibition 
 given by Yankee Sullivan in the month 
 succeedino^ the making of the match. 
 We have struck from it the intermediate 
 set-to's, and have retained only what 
 will serve to give a graphic idea of the 
 spirit in which everything appertaining 
 to the fight was conducted, and what re- 
 lates personally to the principals. 
 
 September 30th, 1S48. 
 
 Excitement among the Fighting 
 Crowd. 
 
 Sullivan's Exhibition. — According 
 to the custom of distinguished pugilists 
 when fitted against each other for a 
 fight, each of the main parties to tho 
 contest, gives, during the period of train- 
 ing, three or four sparring exhibitions, 
 that he may test the good-will of his 
 friends, and display his condition to 
 those who have laid, or who wish to 
 lay, their money out upon him. Fol- 
 lowing the principals, come the seconds 
 and the trainers, who, however, having 
 less claim upon the curiosity of f-he 
 public, content themselves with a " bcn- 
 etit " a piece, and with considerate 
 deference usually charge but half the 
 price required by tlieir employers. " 
 
 In accordance with these regulations, 
 as ancient and invariable as the laws of 
 the Medes and Persians, James, other- 
 wise Yankee Sullivan, on Monday night 
 last, gave a " gran'd " exhibition at the 
 Shakespeare Hotel, price 50 cents a 
 head, at which the most famous of the 
 " fancy '' regaled each other, in couples, 
 with a series of friendly punches in 
 the head. We were there ; so were 
 some eight hundred distinguished per- 
 sons, in the shape of editors, doctors, 
 lawyers, brokers, clerks, exquisites, 
 philosophers, (no Clergymen wlio were 
 identified as such), and swarms of the 
 boys and " hitters out," filling the 
 huge ball-room with multifarious and 
 grotesque intelligence, even to the little 
 music perch, stuck on one of the side 
 walls. 
 
 The performances of the evening 
 were of an exciting character. Barring 
 the first set-to, in which two Chatham 
 street Jews puffed each other's faces 
 with square-handed smacks, the contests 
 were spirited and in many cases se- 
 vere. 
 
 At the commencement of the next 
 display the room was entered by a cel- 
 ebrated sporting editor, accompanied by 
 some dozen of his friends, among whom 
 was the Honorable John M. Botts and a 
 commodore of the navy, who, walking 
 across the room at a step something 
 
38 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 brisker than the dead march in Saul, 
 melted down among the front row of 
 squatters, who cottoned to the floor, on 
 the furtherest side. 
 
 During the progress of this set-to, 
 Hyer, who is matched against Sullivan 
 for $10,000, and Thompson his trainer, 
 entered the room, and, for a few mo- 
 ments, engrossed the attention of all 
 who were in their neighbourhood. 
 
 Hyer already shows the improvement 
 of his brief training, since the making 
 of the match. He is a tall, splendid 
 looking fellow, of some six feet two 
 inches in height, with regular and 
 handsome features and a form that is a 
 happy combination of Hercules and the 
 Apollo Belvidere. His countenance is 
 strikingly American, while that of his 
 trainer, who is a man of almost equally 
 formidable dimensions, is no less de- 
 cid*edly English. As for Sullivan, the 
 Emerald Isle never had a more unmis- 
 takeable specimen of her hardy race. 
 
 After three more set-to's, the last of 
 which was a brisk and severe one, be- 
 tween a Frenchman and the famous 
 Awful Gardner, Sullivan and Thomp- 
 son, duly prepared for sharp work, en- 
 tered the arena, accompanied by the 
 celebrated Country M'Ciuskey, who, 
 amidst repeated showers of applause, 
 introduced them to the company. 
 Country then retired, and the skilful 
 combatants then squared for each other 
 amid the most breathless silence of the 
 before tumultuous crowd. Sullivan 
 looked the perfect beau ideal of a fight- 
 ing man. He was dressed in the com- 
 plete uniform of the ring, and, as he 
 confronted his antagonist, with his keen 
 mischievous eye riveted upon him, we 
 never saw anything more striking than 
 the deeply earnest expression of his pe- 
 culiar physiognomy. Contrasted with 
 Sullivan, Thompson, who is over six 
 feet high, looked like a young giant, and 
 his skill and action, proved to be no less 
 formidable, than in his muscular pow- 
 ers. 
 
 As the combatants measured each 
 other's reach, Hyer looked over the 
 heads of the crowd and studied every 
 motion of Thompson's antagonist, with 
 the intense attention which befitted a 
 man who was to oppose his powers to 
 
 those of the latter for $10,000. 
 
 The combatants advanced and re- 
 treated ; they alternately changed sides, 
 and then cautiously worked back to 
 their first positions : 'hey feinted, took 
 guard, smiled at the failures of each, 
 and again grew serious, when, of a 
 sudden, Sullivan let fly with his left, 
 and planted his glove full upon his op- 
 ponent's nose, and having gained this 
 advantage, he got away and closed the 
 round. As this artistic blow was 
 given, loud cheers were given by Sul- 
 livan's friends from all parts of the 
 room. In the next round Thompson 
 showed the most admirable skill, deal- 
 ing Sullivan some tremendous counter- 
 hits, as well as several gratuitous dis- 
 charges, which kept the Champion con- 
 tinually at work. In the third round, 
 Thompson endeavored to maintain the 
 same tactics, and drove Sullivan to the 
 edge of the spectators, when the latter 
 suddenly closed and threw him hand- 
 somely, landing him upon his shoulder. 
 This superb manoeuvre occasioned the 
 most vociferous applause on the part' of 
 Sullivan's friends, some of whom rush- 
 ed into the ring and tossed their hats 
 up to the ceiling in their ecstacy. 
 
 On coming to the scratch in the next 
 round, Thompson looked feverish. He 
 commenced the round most wickedly, 
 and leading off, hit out right and left, 
 driving Sullivan by his headlong and ir- 
 resistable advance, among the specta- 
 tors. Perceiving now, that the thing 
 had become too earnest for sport, Sulli- 
 van, with proper judgment, bowed to 
 the audience and would have ended the 
 contest; but Thompson, who wished to 
 get an offset for " that throw," waved 
 him back, and the audience seconded 
 the proposition with such unanimous 
 voice, that Sullivan could not resist the 
 challenge. Mischief now flashed from 
 the eyes of each, and soon sharp ex- 
 changes rung on the heads of both. 
 Seizing a chance, Thompson rushed in 
 impetuously and grasped the champion, 
 and rather by main strength than by • 
 the exercise of any other quality, gave 
 him a lance throw among the spectators. 
 Just as this feat was accomplished, some 
 one of Sullivan's friends, irritated at 
 what he conceived to be a momentary 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 39 
 
 discomfituro of his favorite, either kick- 
 ed Thompson, or made an overture to do 
 so ; whereupon a member of the oppo- 
 f^ition called the hon. gentleman to order 
 by seizing him by the coller, and threat- 
 ening to "mortify his jaw." This was 
 the signal for a general rush, and in the 
 close of bodies and the strife of arms, 
 there was for some minutes the pros- 
 pect of a terrible melee. We have sel- 
 dom witnessed a more exciting scene, 
 and more than once, it seemed that the 
 rival tactions, which adhered respect- 
 ively to Ilyer and Sullivan, were about 
 to settle in the presence of their leaders, 
 and out of hand, the original difficulty 
 which gave rise to their present match. 
 By the judicious efforts of some influen- 
 tial peace-makers, however, quiet was 
 at length restored, and the evening's 
 business wound up by a severe glove 
 fight between Tom O'Donnel, the trainer 
 of Sullivan, and an excellent sparrer 
 named Wike Kelly. 
 
 In order to make the history of the 
 great match between Hyer and Sulli- 
 van as complete as possible, we here- 
 with present for the consideration of 
 our readers, the particulars of the Spar- 
 ring Exhibition for the benefit of Hyer. 
 It is the second of the series of papers 
 before referred to : 
 
 November 23d, '48 ) 
 The third month J 
 
 GRAND MEETING OF THE FANCY. 
 
 Hyer's Exhibition.— The " grand " 
 sparring exhibition of Tom Hyer, which 
 we predicted some time ago, " came 
 off"," to use a sporting term, on Friday 
 evening last, at Mager's ball-room, in 
 Elizabeth street. To our surprise M^e 
 found, on entering the room, which is a 
 very large one, that it was densely fill- 
 ed with spectators of every class, the 
 nearer circles of which stood closely 
 wedged around an elevated staging, 
 and the outer edges swarmed upwards 
 on chance elevations balancing them- 
 selves by holding on each other's shoul- 
 ders. At eight o'clock, the impatience 
 of the audience rather elegantly ex- 
 pressed in various modes of sounds, 
 
 summoned forth two of the athletrr, 
 who, arrayed in the fighting garb, 
 jumped into the twenty-four feet roped 
 elevated ring, and made their obeisance 
 to the audience. * 
 
 The combatants were the veteran 
 George Kensett, the hero of several 
 fights, and a young man named McKay. 
 Though much heavier than the pugilis 
 tic sage, the stalwart Mr. Mc Kay was 
 obliged to receive the compliment of a 
 bloody mouth from one of the veteran's 
 right hand hits, and to receive a suc- 
 cession of similar attentions, beautifully 
 delivered in the same favored place. 
 ****** 
 
 Bob Sauce and McStravick, an Eng- 
 lish prize-fighter,were the next. The 
 latter of these men, though evidently a 
 very excellent sparrer, did not attempt 
 to work, but gave his more inexperienced 
 adversary the advantage from first to 
 last. His object showed itself after a 
 few rounds, when, leaning up against 
 the ropes, as if almost overcome with 
 faintness and fatigue, he gave utterance 
 to the following delectable rhetorical 
 display : — 
 
 '• Gentlemen, I doant feel so well to- 
 noight ; but I'll fight any man in the 
 country nor doant weigh no more nor 
 tin stun." 
 
 " Come here, my laddy ; we've got a 
 /latch for your ten stone man," said the 
 honorable Mr. Closey, a member from 
 one of upper districts ; whereat Mr. Mc- 
 Stravick moved toward Mr. Closey, to 
 settle the preliminaries. This afiair 
 being disposed of according to the laws 
 in such cases made and provided, and 
 Tom O'Donnell being understood as 
 the accepting candidate, the sports went 
 
 on. 
 
 ****** 
 
 Tom Hyer and George Thompson. 
 The appearance of these men in the 
 ring created the deepest sensation ; and 
 while they put themselves in position, 
 and squared cautiously away, the most 
 profound silence reigned through the 
 crowded auditory. As both of the men 
 are some two or three inches above six 
 feet, and both also in the pride of youth 
 and strength, it was an exceedingly in- 
 teresting sight as they confronted each 
 
40 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 other with a severe and earnest watch- 
 fulness. It appeared to us that Hyer's 
 position, though handsome, was rather 
 stiff and inclined too much backwards ; 
 while Thompson's was well forward, 
 and easy, and ready for all sorts of 
 work. The combatants sparred cau- 
 tiously for some time, both careful and 
 proud of their reputations, and several 
 moments elapsed before either would 
 venture to break ground. At length, 
 hov^ever, watching his chance, Hyer let 
 lly a straight right-handed hit, and de- 
 livered his glove full upon Thompson's 
 chin, with a sharpness that sent the 
 color tingling to the skin, and with a 
 power that would have driven an or- 
 dinary man through the ropes among 
 the audience. Best of all, he recovered 
 in an instant, and got away from a mis- 
 chievously meant return. A full round 
 of applause manifested itself at this for 
 Hyer, and while it waa yet ringing, the 
 gigantic adversary squared for the se- 
 cond round. In this round it was blow 
 for blow ; and so it kept throughout a 
 twenty minutes' contest, Hyer display- 
 ing a good style of hitting and an equal 
 degree of skill in stopping his opponent's 
 blows. His best point, and the one 
 that will most bestead him in his com- 
 ing fight with Sullivan, is his tact in 
 countering ; he seeming to have made 
 it his especial study to give a blow in- 
 variably, for every one he is obliged to 
 take. This is an invaluable rule for 
 combatants who have the largest pow- 
 ers of endurance, as in blow for blow, 
 the weakest structure shivers and leaves 
 the strongest master of the field. We 
 were surprised, however, to see Hyer 
 perspire so freely with his efforts. The 
 sweat ran from him like rain, and told 
 a tale of careless training which crea- 
 ted evident uneasiness in the faces of 
 his backers. 
 
 December 3d, 1848 ) 
 The 4th month. J 
 
 TRAINING FOR THE FIGHT. 
 
 YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 Since the grand sparring exhibition 
 recently given by Tom Hyer, that dis- 
 tinguished individual and his famous 
 opponent, Yankee Sullivan, have put 
 
 themselves in active training for the 
 desperate fight which is to come off be- 
 tween them for the sum of $10,000, on 
 teh 7th of February next. Hyer, with 
 his two trainers, Thompson and Joe 
 VVinrow, has taken up his field quarters 
 at Dodge's, at McComb's Dam, and Sul- 
 livan, attended by the celebrated Coun- 
 try McCleester and Tom O'Donnell, rus- 
 ticate at Shav/'s, hard by the Union 
 Race Course, on Long Island. Of the 
 two places, Hyer has much the best of 
 it, the adjacent country furnishing fine 
 rugged hills for him to climb and strug- 
 gle over, while Sullivan has not much 
 at his command beside the flat race- 
 course, and such variety as he can man- 
 ufacture out of low sandy ground, or 
 by feats of picking up stones at a full 
 run. 
 
 As the mode of training taken for the 
 development of the highest perfection 
 of the animal health and strength in 
 man cannot be otherwise than interest- 
 ing and instructive, we will give the 
 routine of Sullivan's exercises and 
 mode of living. We do it more willing- 
 ly as he disclaims any intention of pre- 
 paring himself for a fight, proclaiming 
 his object solely to be to train against 
 the coming Cholera, by a purification of 
 his system. He doubtless will be pro- 
 perly prepared to meet it. 
 
 In the morning the Hon. Mr. Sullivan 
 rises with the first streak of dawn, puts 
 on his breeches cheerfully, goes out 
 on the race-course and commences run- 
 ning around it at a rate somewhat 
 less than the gait of Eclipse. After 
 having accomplished five, or six, or se- 
 ven miles, he returns to his house, 
 rouses up his trainers, takes a heavy 
 pair of dumb bells and strikes out some 
 six or seven hundred times to improve 
 his reach and the muscles of his should- 
 er, striking mostly upward, in conse- 
 quence of the height of the man with 
 whom he has to contend. He then lay a 
 by the dumb bells, and after a few min- 
 utes rest, puts on the gloves with one ol 
 his trainers, enters into sharp exercise, 
 striking, avoiding, dodging, and wrest- 
 ling, even to the ground, as in the con- 
 tingencies of an actual fight. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan having thus peppered 
 his trainers, next squares himself before 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 41 
 
 a heavy bag, which hangs pendant 
 Irom the ceiling by a single cord, and 
 which is stuffed to the weight of his an- 
 tagonist. Mr. Sullivan deals a mischie- 
 vous blow at this bag ; the bag naturally 
 retires from such an overture, but Mr. 
 Sullivan punches it again, and keeps 
 following it in every direction, as it 
 swings away, until he works himself 
 inio a generous perspiration. He then 
 '• knocks off," lays by the gloves, and 
 making a thorough wash with cold wa- 
 ter, of his arms, chest, neck, and head, 
 adjourns with his two distinguished 
 friends to breakfast. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan eats for his breakfast a 
 large beefsteak of the finest cut, and 
 cooked rare, over which he pours a 
 sauce of old English ale, sent to him 
 like the steaks, from the city, and both 
 carefully watched by his trainers, and 
 tasted with as much precaution as the 
 taster of the Sultan would exercise in 
 looking out that his sublime master is 
 not touched with deleterious drug. 
 Sometimes Mr. Sullivan breakfasts on 
 boiled chicken, in which case he usual- 
 ly supervises the excution and prepara- 
 tion of the animal himself. 
 
 After breakfast, Mr. Sullivan takes 
 an hour of repose, during which he oc- 
 cupies his time and improves his mind 
 by reading " Boxiana," to keep his im- 
 agination fresh in all the different 
 modes of fighting in the prize ring, and 
 fresh in all the various dodges adopted 
 on emergencies, by the most celebrated 
 of the champions of the arena. Having 
 thus refreshed himself, Mr. Sullivan 
 starts out in the open country, bestirs 
 himself actively for some eight or ten 
 miles, in a circuit, and in his travel 
 nurses every acclivity or hollow that 
 offers a chance for novel exercise, as if 
 it were a choice spot in the California 
 Placers. During this exercise Mr. Sul- 
 livan is accompanied by his trainers, 
 who occasionally help him in a chase, 
 or stimulate him by vieing in the feat 
 of picking up stones, placed on the 
 ground at equal distances, while on a 
 full run. This is fine exercise, and 
 challenges every nerve and muscle in 
 the body. Mr. Sullivan comes in from 
 this exercise in a warm glow, and 
 while his body is in this state, he 
 
 quickly strips all his upper clothing off, 
 and bending downwards, is soused with 
 cold water from his loins down hi^ 
 neck and over his head. This opera- 
 tion is repeated several times, » when 
 Mr. Sullivan rises up with a healthful 
 snort, and his trainers fall to on his 
 skin, with coarse towels, which soon 
 leave him of the complexion of a cran- 
 berry. Mr. Sullivan then puts on fresh 
 flannel (a daily practice,) and after set- 
 tling himself in his suspenders, gaily 
 and gracefully invites his two friends 
 to dinner. It being four o'clock, and 
 no other meal being allowed during the 
 day, those gentlemen do not generally 
 refuse. The dinner of Mr. Sullivan is 
 again a fine underdone steak of the 
 largest size, swimming in a sauce of fine 
 old English ale. 
 
 After dinner, Mr. Sullivan reposes 
 again, and either whiles away an hour 
 in talking " fight " with his trainers, or 
 in reading " Boxiana," as in the morn- 
 ing. Being refreshed, he takes another 
 sparring bout ; sCnother match follows 
 with the dumb bells ; when, having 
 his shoulders in play, he wakes up the 
 bag again, and, though it has never 
 done him any harm, and is no way in- 
 imical to him except in being of Mr. 
 Hyer's weight, he bangs it viciously and 
 without mercy. Having peppered it to 
 his satisfaction, Mr. Sullivan takes 
 another wash with cold water, when, 
 buttoning himself in his grey overcoat 
 and turning the collar up about his ears, 
 he starts out for a short moonlight or 
 starlight walk of four or five miles on 
 the race course or the road, at the end 
 of which, it being about nine o'clock, 
 he goes to bed. 
 
 This is about the day's routine, sub- 
 ject to slight changes as the training 
 advances, and subject also to the sub- 
 stitution of mutton for beef, during the 
 last two or three weeks, immediately 
 preceding the fight. 
 
 While all this is going on, Mr. Sulli- 
 van lives, in all respects, a virtuous and 
 abstemious life. He will not touch li- 
 quor ; he will not smoke a cigar ; nay, 
 will not stay in a room where one is 
 smoked, and, above all, he does not see 
 Mrs. Sullivan at all — except in a Pick- 
 wickian sense. One dereliction of the 
 
42 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 latter kind wouTd throw him hack whole 
 weeks in his training, and put him very 
 low down in the hetting. The result 
 is, he is as strong as a lion, as gay as a 
 lark, with a free conscience and a cheer- 
 ful spirit, and in all respects in that 
 high condition of animal perfection, 
 which enahles a man to set at naught 
 all manner of disease or ailment, except 
 perhaps, such as proceed from a hostile 
 collision with some other human ma- 
 chine in as splendid condition as him- 
 self. There are those, and their num- 
 ber is thousands, who believe Hyer is 
 the man " to take him down." Out of 
 the thousands on both sides, however, 
 there are none that can positively tell 
 anything about the matter. 
 
 It is difficult to conceive a more splen- 
 did looking man than Hyer, and we 
 must make full allowance in his favor 
 for those natural advantag'es of youth, 
 strength, weight, and length of reach, 
 which will tell so tremendously for 
 their possessor, even though pitted 
 against the highest experience and the 
 most superior skill. 
 
 The condition of both men is now 
 represented to be very fine, and Hyer is 
 working like Sisyphus to recover a 
 point or two which he lost previous to 
 his exhibition. Both are continually 
 visited by flying detachments of their 
 friends, who having seen them punch 
 away at their bags, and show up their 
 points, leave with a full conviction that 
 their favorite is sure to dispose of his 
 antagonist with as much ease as a four- 
 teen stone M. P. would of an apple wo- 
 man. On Sunday last, carriage loads 
 went out to Snedicor's and Shaw's,while 
 numerous foot passengers trudged along 
 with sticks and lined the Long Island 
 road, which took them "wheie they 
 could see Sullivan." Hyer, on the other 
 hand, held a perpetual levee .from the 
 morning to the evening of that day, pay- 
 ing the courtesies of reception during 
 the intervals of his exercises. What- 
 ever may happen, they are both in a 
 palmy state of health, and both prepared 
 to bid defiance to the Cholera should it 
 pay a visit to our shores to morrow. In 
 this light, we commend their condition 
 and their virtuous abstemiousness, in 
 every sense, to the serious consideration 
 
 of the shrivelled and wilted debauchees 
 of the town, and give it as a familiar 
 and tangible evidence to all, whether 
 laity or clergy, of the advantages which 
 necessarily result from cleanliness and 
 exercise. 
 
 December 10th. 
 TRAINING FOR THE FIGHT. 
 
 TOM HYER. 
 
 We gave last week an account of the 
 mode of training pursued by Yankee 
 Sullivan, preparatory to his forthcoming 
 $10,000 contest with the above named 
 champion m February next, and we 
 now dispose our observations upon Hyer, 
 that both aspects of the matter may be 
 duly estimated, and the friends of both 
 fully aware of the condition of their 
 men. 
 
 On Thursday morning last we were 
 called for at our Dffice and plucked from 
 the ocean of our affairs by a distinguish- 
 ed friend connected with the press, aid- 
 ed in his purpose by a couple of bob-tail- 
 ed ponies, not sent to this country as a 
 present from the Pacha of Egypt. Re- 
 sistance being out of the question in the 
 face of such an attention, we yielded to 
 Mr. Collins and the ponies, and soon 
 found ourself whirling on the avenue 
 towards M'Comb's dam, being more 
 particularly headed for the inn at that 
 place, kept by Peter Dodge, and entitled 
 the " Romantic Hotel." As we turned 
 into the grounds adjacent to the hotel, 
 we perceived a trio consisting of two 
 very large men and one short one, 
 walking briskly towards us, as if we 
 were trespassers and they were hasten- 
 ing up to challenge our advance. More- 
 over, one of them, who wore a sort of 
 rough and ready green baize "cut- 
 away," brandished a short cudgel as he 
 stepped along in a manner that did not 
 promise very pleasant entertainment for 
 any who might provoke its applications. 
 A few more revolutions of the wheels, 
 however, and a second look relieved all 
 our concern, and we discovered that 
 the gentleman with the cudgel was no 
 less a person than the Hon. Mr. Hyer, 
 and that the other two with him were 
 his trainers, the tall one being the al- 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 43 
 
 ready somewhat famous George Thomp- 
 son, or Peter Crawley's sporting " no- 
 vice," and the short one, the really 
 famous Joe Winrow. We perceived 
 then that the truncheon of Mr. Hyer 
 was not evincive of any belligerent in- 
 tention, but was only carried and occa- 
 sionally whirled to supply employment 
 for his animal exuberance, and to keep 
 his upper muscles in continual play. 
 
 We received the civilities of recogni- 
 tion from these three distinguished gen- 
 tlemen with the grace for which we are 
 so celebrated, and then took a brief snap 
 of conversation with Mr. Hyer, in pri- 
 vate, as to the state of his health and 
 conscience. But robust and hearty as 
 Mr. Hyer was, he did not on this occa- 
 sion show to much advantage. A slight 
 and feverish eruption had been thrown 
 out around his mouth two days before, 
 and though it did not impair the appear- 
 ance of his otherwise fine condition, it 
 disturbed the effect of his handsome 
 features not a little. This harvest had 
 been produced by the reaction of a slight 
 cold, which he had caught upon the 
 sharp physicing he had undergone to 
 get his constitution rapidly in trim for 
 hard work. Waving an adieu, we for- 
 bore any further detention of Mr. Hyer 
 from his business, and drove on to the 
 Hotel to await his return, after his ex- 
 ercise. To make this interim the more 
 pleasant, we ordered dinner for our- 
 selves and the ponies, and had the good 
 fortune not only to secure a very pleas- 
 ant repast, but the felicity of enjoying 
 during the dinner, the conversation of 
 the amiable and lovely hostess of the 
 " Romantic Hotel." 
 
 As we expected, our intelligent host- 
 ess had her own notions about "this 
 fighting business;" and as it was not, 
 and never is, and never can be, the bu- 
 siness of a fighting editor to disagree in 
 opinion with the ladies, and especially 
 with ladies who are amiable and hand- 
 some, our hostess had the satisfaction to 
 see us nod a perfect acquiescence to all 
 her observations on " the manly art of 
 self-defence," and to mark, likewise, 
 our perfect agreement with every view 
 she advanced relative to the special 
 match now pending between Mr. Sulli- 
 van and Mr. Hyer. While on this por- 
 
 tion of our subject, it is due to thix 
 worthy lady to say, that she strenuously 
 sets her face against the entire fighting 
 business, in which further view, it will 
 readily be conceived that we agreed 
 with her completely. 
 
 Mr. Hyer rises before day break, it 
 appears, being roused by his trainers, 
 and carried away on a brisk walk, to 
 scramble up the beautiful hills, that 
 raise their heads on every side, in and 
 around Bloomingdale, to strive with 
 them in races, not only on the level 
 ground, but up and down the most des- 
 perate acclivities. As these three hardy 
 men go about scaling the sharp edges of 
 the mountain side, they look like the 
 Swiss hunters of the Chamois, and 
 many a wondering glance do their 
 strange and hairbreadth exploits draw 
 from the rude workmen who are employ- 
 ed in opening roads and blasting rock:< 
 throughout the hilly vicinage. 
 
 Having snufied the fresh air for an 
 hour or more, and exchanged many 
 pufis of hot breatji for its invigorating 
 volume, Mr. Hyer returns home by a 
 circuit of some six or seven miles, and 
 devotes himself in striking out with a 
 pair of large dumb-bells, which though 
 heavier than those in use by Sulli- 
 van, he handles them with the same 
 facility that a boy would launch an oys- 
 ter shell quoit or a copper at a hob. Mr. 
 Hyer after having discharged these tre- 
 mendous slugs at arms' length, some 
 five or six hundred times, takes a short 
 breathing spell, after which he signifies 
 to Mr. Thompson his desire to put on 
 the gloves. The two young giants then 
 confront each other, and commence a 
 sort of spurious warfare, punching 
 each other's heads with muffled blows, 
 and anon, as one pursues the other in 
 advantage, closing in, and tussling to 
 the floor. In these encounters, report 
 says that Mr. Thompson frequentlytakes 
 the measure of an unmade grave. Eight 
 o'clock having by this time made its ap- 
 pearance on the dial, Mr. Hyer and his 
 two friends adjourn to breakfast where 
 the former confines himself to a very 
 large and very fine steak, broiled slight- 
 ly over the embers in its natural state, 
 and eat without pepper, salt, or season- 
 ing of any kind. He is allowed no 
 
44 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 vegetables ; indeed, nothing with this 
 food, but bread, and a very little water, 
 while his less restricted trainers are en- 
 titled to discuss the hot coffee, fried po- 
 tatoes, buckwheat cakes, et cet., which 
 the excellent cook of the establishment 
 knows so well how to get up. 
 
 It is here due to those two gentlemen 
 to observe that they do full credit to 
 her preparations, as, from the highest 
 testimony we could gather on the sub- 
 ject, we ascertained that every thing 
 fc>et before ihem shares the same fate as 
 tow in the mouth of the conjuror, or 
 calves-foot jelly between the jaws of a 
 reporter for the daily press. The same 
 liigh authority informs us that Mr. Hyer 
 now and then looks wishfully at the 
 other tempting condiments around him, 
 and that on one occasion, despite all the 
 vigilance of Mr. Winrow, who watches 
 him with the fidelity of a cat, he sur- 
 reptitiously obtained a pinch of salt for 
 his Indian steak, and that on another 
 and more flagrant occasion, he actually 
 stole a turnip. This latter offence was 
 subseqiuently discovered by Mr. Win- 
 row, and the result was, that Mr. Hyer 
 received a very severe reprimand from 
 that austere disciplinarian. 
 
 After breakfast Mr. Hyer reposes, and 
 neither discusses politics or puseyism, 
 nor reads Pilgrim's Progress or Lalla 
 Pbookh. Nay, he does not even peruse 
 " Boxiana," as does Mr. Sullivan, but 
 yields to a profound but severe medita- 
 tion, which no calculations for the bat- 
 tle, or any care of business seems to in- 
 vade. After an hour has been thus 
 consumed, he is summoned by his 
 trainers to go forth, whereupon the trio 
 start out again and accomplish before 
 dinner a distance of fifteen miles. Hyer 
 coming in the two last on a full run. — 
 In this severe task, the trainers generally 
 save themselves a few miles of the 
 labor by securing command of an emi- 
 nence, from whence they can supervise 
 their principal in the performance of 
 his work. They very frequently, how- 
 ever, go through the whole task with 
 him, it being desirable that they should 
 enter the ring in tolerable train them- 
 selves, in case they should receive a 
 hasty challenge from. one of the oppo- 
 sing faction. Mr. Hyer gets in from 
 
 this fifteen mile trip early enough before 
 12 o'clock, to enable himself to wash 
 his head and chest and arms with cold 
 water, and to dress with fresh under- 
 clothes for dinner. At dinner, which 
 takes place precisely at 12 o'clock, he 
 eats his beef in the same aboriginal 
 style as at breakfast, but moistens his 
 clay on this occasion, by about two 
 wine glasses full of fine Scotch ale. As 
 for Messrs. Winrow and Thompson, 
 they usually perform such feats at this 
 trencher work, as would cover Herr 
 Alexander with confusion, and force 
 ma^ic itself to take a back seat. Hyer 
 on his part disposes of a steak which 
 overhangs the edges of the largest speci- 
 men of Devonshire delph, as if it were 
 only a shaving of smoked beef, or a 
 wafer sandwich. The astonished lady 
 who gave us a representation of this 
 department of the training, could not 
 abstain at this portion of the story from 
 raising her hands and solemnly declar- 
 ing, that the exploits of the trio on these 
 occasions were a " sight to see !" In- 
 deed it seemed to her that they were 
 training " to eat" rather than to fight, 
 and all things considered, we did not 
 wonder at the solemn face and deep 
 concern with which she recounted these 
 deeds of carnivorous prelimination. 
 
 After dinner Mr. Hyer again reposes 
 for an hour ; and during this period 
 reflects a little more profoundly even 
 than before. He then takes exercise at 
 the bag, which like the one daily pun- 
 ished by Sullivan, is stuffed to the 
 weight of his antagonist. Mr. Hyer 
 next puts on the gloves with Mr. Win- 
 row, and after a lively sparring bout 
 with that artist, the v/liole three start 
 out again for another tramp. This ex- 
 cursion commences with easy walking 
 and ends in a run as before. It occu- 
 pies them until about four o'clock, when 
 in half an hour more Mr. Hyer eats his 
 last meal for the day, and this time, 
 perhaps, contents himself with mutton. 
 The meal closes with the usual rest, 
 after which sparring, the dumb bells, 
 and the bag, wind up the exercises of 
 the day, and eight o'clock finds Mr. 
 Hyer sound upon his virtuous pillow. 
 
 The exercises are varied a little from 
 day to day, rowing on the Harlem river 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 45 
 
 teirigoccasionallj^ addled to the morning 
 performance, or perhaps thrown in to- 
 wards the evening. 
 
 In all other respects Mr. Hyer, like 
 Mr. Sullivan, lives a perfect chaste and 
 abstemious life, and is a pattern to 
 many who claim to lead up middle 
 aisles, and to sound the key note in 
 isacred psalmistry. In this connexion, 
 it is proper for us to mention that he 
 maintains the same domestic reserve, 
 as does Mr. Sullivan, and would receive 
 Mrs. Hyer, should she visit him at the 
 Romantic Hotel, only with a dignified 
 and Pickwickian courtesy. The reader 
 has now seen the privations, the hard- 
 ships, and the self-denial which a man 
 must practise before he can arrive at 
 his physical climax, and stand as nature 
 intended him, free from all vi-tiation of 
 perverted habits. It is a severe, nay, a 
 terrible task, compared with which, the 
 fighting itself is as nothing. Many con- 
 stitutions break down while undergoing 
 it, while others which are a little worn, 
 dare not attempt the requisite extremes, 
 but come to the score in only half con- 
 dition. This is not the case, however, 
 with either Hyer or Sullivan. Both 
 hav^ been repc^atrdly ^vailed upon by 
 curious physicians, who have sounded 
 them in every point and who repeat 
 their examinations with increasing sat- 
 isfaction, at every advancing stage of 
 the training. With the exception of 
 the trifling eruption which we have 
 noticed as having appeared on Hyer's 
 face, his skin and flesh look fine, and 
 he shows up his points in a truly formi- 
 dable manner. He is improving fast, 
 and will doubtless continue to do so, if 
 I'udiciously attended. As he works and 
 perspires away his useless flesh, he does 
 not replace it as do other weary men 
 with copious draughts of water, but 
 eschews everything in the shape of 
 moisture, except what he derives from 
 the juices of his beef, and such slight 
 thimbles full of ale and crystal fluid, as 
 nature absolutely requires. By this 
 system, all the refuse of a long period 
 of ease is fast leaving him, and his 
 frame bids fair soon to be reduced 
 to the mere rudiments of muscular 
 strength. 
 
 ' December 16ih, 1S48. 
 
 YANKEE SULLIVAN IN HIS 
 
 TRAINING. 
 
 Some men are born great ; some men 
 achieve greatness ; and some men have 
 greatness thrust upon them. At least 
 William Shakspeare said so, in the 
 seventeenth century, and we hold him 
 still to be an authority, maugre the 
 theory of the Rev. J. C. Hart, that he- 
 was tainted with Jansenism, and was 
 given to whistling through a fork. — 
 " Some men achieve greatness," says 
 the poet, and if an humble descendant 
 of the Timonies may make a comparison 
 not exactly after the fashion of Plutarch, 
 we would venture to point to General 
 Taylor and Yankee Sullivan as striking 
 proofs of the correctness of the proposi- 
 tion. Both of them are great, and both 
 of them have achieved their greatness 
 for themselves. What is more, both of 
 them are fighting men, and though Gen. 
 Taylor might noj appear to as much 
 advantage in a twenty-four feet roped 
 ring as Mr. Sullivan, it is equally cer- 
 tain that Mr. Sullivan would not be able 
 to compete with General Taylor in 
 giving the six cuts with a broadsword, 
 or in looking against a battery. Both, 
 however, have oyerthrown all their ad- 
 versaries, and are the heroes of every 
 field in which they have ever spread 
 themselves ; though the probability is 
 that General Taylor has had the good 
 luck to kill a great many more than 
 Yankee has ever peppered. 
 
 As for Sullivan, he seems to be what 
 sporting men, in a spirit of elegant con- 
 densation, term an " invince," and suc- 
 ceeds with every thing he undertakes. 
 Whether he will carrj his prestige with 
 him after the 7th of February next, de- 
 pends somewhat upon the consent of 
 Mr. Thomas Hyer, for whom he is now 
 training ; but outside, or rather inside 
 of that method of ascertainment, the 
 question of his future fortunes cannot 
 be divined by peeping into a mustard 
 pot. At any rate, and happen what 
 may, Mr. Sullivan cannot be rendered 
 less than a great man, or one of the 
 famous " has beens." while Mr. Hyer, 
 
46 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 on his side, perils the hope of a groat 
 " to come." 
 
 When we said that the Hon. Mr. Sul- 
 livan was successful in everything he 
 undertook, we had in mind, in addition 
 to the list of his battles, a few recent 
 exploits which he has performed since 
 the commencement of his training, and 
 which are but new proofs of the strong 
 and acute intellect to which he mainly 
 owes all his earlier achievements. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan at the commencement 
 of his training bought him a horse, und 
 out of compliment to his friend Country 
 McCleester, for having whipped sixteen 
 Mexicans one afternoon after a very 
 hearty dinner near El Puenla Nacional, 
 he named him " Country." 
 
 What were Mr. Sullivan's original 
 coniemplations in regard to the animal 
 — whether he intended to spar with 
 him, or to challenge his speed in foot 
 races on the track, — we cannot venture 
 to assert ; but it is a fact, however, 
 which we will put forth, that he so 
 stimulated his nag by the speed of his 
 example, that he has been enabled to 
 get him up to a sufficient rate of velocity 
 to win three matches and pocket the 
 combined stakes of four hundred dollars. 
 
 The first of these matches, (all of 
 which were made by Mr. Sullivan in 
 the same off-hand manner in which he 
 would have signed the Declaration of 
 Independence,) was with a somewhat 
 famous trotting nag called " Cambridge 
 Girl," and the stake was $200. This 
 was won by Mr. Sullivan, or by the 
 horse for him — which is the same 
 thing as well in Ireland as in Affghan- 
 istan — in two straight heats, the first 
 being performed in 2.44, and the second 
 in 2.40, maugre a heavy vehicle behind 
 tiim, and a very heavy gentleman in- 
 side of it. 
 
 The second was with the same an- 
 tagonist, for SlOO, and the last with a 
 iirey pacer without a name, and which 
 v.-as beaten so badly that it now has no 
 ;^^omach to look a name up. 
 
 Thus does Mr. Sullivan amuse him- 
 self with incidental ''snaps" during his 
 training for his terrifying match, while 
 his hours of more elegant leisure are 
 devoted to the improvement of a large 
 sized bull terrier, which he is ready to 
 
 match against the world, and a young 
 brood of game chickens, on which he 
 indulges the most enthusiastic specula- 
 tions. Every thing that comes under 
 his jurisdiction seems to be improving 
 in condition. Tom O'Donnell, one of 
 his trainers, is in such saucy health 
 that he wishes to redeem the laurels he 
 once lost to Winrow, at a wager of 
 Si 000, and Bill Wilson, the other, is 
 willing to fight any thing and every 
 thing that looks like him ; a fruitless 
 hope for manifest reasons in his phvsi- 
 ognomy. As for Sullivan, he has reached 
 such a degree of pugnacity and physi- 
 cal power, that some of his friends 
 begin to mistrust the safety of leaving 
 him alone with himself. 
 
 Those who wish to see the three 
 above distinguished gentlemen in their 
 most favored positions, may be thorough- 
 ly gratified fen the evening of Thursday 
 the 21st, at Mager's Concert Hall, in 
 Elizabeth street, where they will all 
 meet in solemn exhibition, similar to 
 the grand convention recently called 
 together by the Hon. Thomas Hyer.— 
 What will render this meeting more 
 exciting, perhaps, is the fact that it im- 
 mediately precedes the final deposit of 
 the $10,000 stake, and will be probably 
 the last occasion on which the Hon. 
 Mr. Sullivan will " show" before the 
 fight. 
 
 December 30, 1848. 
 
 SULLIVAN'S LAST EXHIBITION. 
 
 According to announcement by yel- 
 low placards and otherwise, the grand 
 soiree pugilistic of the Hon. Yankee 
 Sullivan and his trainers came off, or 
 on, according to the taste of the reader, 
 on the night of Thursday the 21st, at 
 the now famous 101 Elizabeth street. 
 Notwithstanding the bitterness of the 
 weather, and the angry driving of the 
 snow, we found assembled at the hour 
 of eight, a very large number of gentle- 
 men in rough pea-coats and seal-skin 
 caps, whose grave countenances and 
 earnest side conversations gave evi- 
 dence that they were duly impressed 
 with the important nature of the occa- 
 sion. For our own part, we did not 
 enjoy that elasticity of mind and body 
 which usually characterize our temper- 
 ament. We had throughout the day 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 17 
 
 been actively engajred in the heavy (de- 
 partment of the Police G-iZ'-ite, and it 
 will be easily conceived, even by those 
 very slightly skilled m physics, that an 
 edition of iwenty-seven thousand papers 
 carried on our own proper back, irom 
 the press-room to the publication ofhce, 
 may disturb the equanimity of the 
 shoulder even of a fighting editor. It 
 was out of the question, therefore, when 
 wc arrived, th at we should yield to the 
 numerous invitations lo spar with Mr. 
 Sullivan, though we find enough vigor 
 lelt in our five fingers to give hira the 
 sign manual, common from the days of 
 Nimrod down, among gentlemen of our 
 order. In consequence of this state of 
 miud and body, we must be excused 
 from giving the reader that particularity 
 of detail which the principal editor 
 usually requires of us on these occa- 
 .^ions. 
 
 Altogether, the affair was a very su- 
 perior one of its kind, and though it did 
 not equal in numbers the great mass 
 meeting of the friends of Mr. Hyer, 
 held some weeks ago, the performances 
 of the athleta) who appeared were fully 
 equal to those of the champions who 
 signalized themselves on the former oc- 
 casion. 
 
 ******* 
 
 The Hon. Mr. Sullivan, and his friend 
 and pitcher. Country McCleester, were 
 finally ushered in the circle, amid the 
 applause of the enthusiatic auditory. It 
 is hardly necessary to relate the friend- 
 ly pastime which took place between 
 these two gentlemen. Sullivan was 
 dressed in the uniform in which he will 
 meet the Hon. Mr. Hyer on the 7th of 
 February, in order to request him to 
 show cause why judgement should not 
 be entered against him in the matter of 
 §10,000, now pending on the question 
 which of the two have, or will have the 
 handsomest face after that time. 
 
 We hardly know how to describe Mr. 
 Sullivan, though it is seldom we are 
 at such a loss in regard to anything in 
 the heavens above, in earth beneath, or 
 in the waters under the earth. It is 
 not enough to say that he is five feet 
 ten, with light legs, deep chest, strong 
 loms, full shoulders, high cheek bones, 
 
 muscular neck, quick intelligent eye, 
 and a small flinty looking head, for 
 though all that is true, it will not give 
 a correct idea of his general appearance. 
 Atone time he looks like a high trained 
 game cock; next a fighting terrier; 
 again a steam engine in full stroke, and 
 somelimes a flimsy old bag of wool, that 
 would as leaf be beat as not. On the 
 occasion we are now relating, he looked 
 to us more like a hard frost than any- 
 thing we could think of at the lime, 
 and if he had bent his eyes sternly at 
 us during the evening, we should have 
 felt justified in swearing our life against 
 him. It is time for him to look somewhat 
 after this fashion, however, as this is his 
 last appearance before the fight. 
 
 On the 10th of January next, or rather 
 in the evening thereof, Mr. Hyer makes 
 his farewell bow to the public at the 
 same place, previous to the event of the 
 7th of the ensuing month. He is said 
 to be in equally fine condition with his 
 hardy competitor, and his appearance 
 on that occasion will doubtless warrant 
 an equal confidence in his backers, with 
 that which now stimulates the friends 
 of Sullivan. 
 
 Let it go as it will, however, a good 
 result has already been effected for the 
 community. The pugilistic spirit has 
 let off the fever for assassination, and 
 the six barrAed pistols and the mur- 
 derous bowie knives which a few weeks 
 ago were the pet weapons of every rake- 
 hell and swash buckler in the town, 
 have given place to the doctrine of the 
 knuckles and hitting from " the shoul- 
 der." A peaceful man, may therefore, 
 now walk the street where the fighting 
 crowds perambulate, without fear of 
 being sped to his account by a whiff 
 from some deadly muzzle, or by a sli- 
 vering stroke from some sweeping 
 blade. 
 
 Indeed, so far as this quarrel between 
 Hyer and Sullivan is concerned, 
 we are well convinced that had not the 
 present match been made, the large 
 bands of resolute men who adhere to 
 each, would have met, Philadelphia 
 fashion, before now, and cost the cen- 
 sus records some half a dozen lives. In 
 this view, the present fight may be c>tt 
 
48 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 sidered the safety valve of a much 
 greater danger. After the feud is set- 
 tled, however, all should join to stop 
 such business in the future. We could 
 use cant on this subject if we pleased ; 
 but we prefer to talk common sense. 
 
 January 13th, 1849, ) 
 
 - The 5th month. J 
 
 - HYER'S LAST EXHIBITION. 
 
 The announcement of the last " grand 
 exhibition" of Tom Hyer, drew together, 
 at Mager's Concert Hall, on the night of 
 Wednesday, of last week, a company 
 ranging between seven hundred and a 
 thousand people, who, at a dollar a head, 
 seemed to afford the most profound sat- 
 isfaction to the Hon. Mr. Hyer, as he 
 stood in a position of dignified reflection 
 near the head of the stairs, in the first 
 smile of the evening. Surrounding Mr. 
 Hyer were several amateurs and " Past 
 Grands" in the fistic art, gazing in ad- 
 miration at the '' Royal Arch" before 
 them, and occasionally making side 
 whispers to their friends, by way of 
 evincing their high estimation of his 
 qualities and condition. A nod from 
 the Hon. Mr. Hyer, to any new comer, 
 under these circumstances, was a com- 
 pliment of no ordinary magnitude ; so 
 when the circle of reve^nt outsiders 
 saw him spit in his haiia at our ap- 
 proach, and give us a grasp similar to j 
 that to be exchanged between Mayor 
 Havemeyer and General Taylor, when 
 the latter visits the city, a singular ex- 
 pression of envy might be seen in the 
 faces of all surrounding lookers on. The 
 Hon. Mr. Hyer has a great power of 
 grip, and-* right well do the five fingers 
 of our right hand recollect it. 
 
 The Hon. Mr. Hyer looked in superb 
 condition, and fully justified the high en 
 encomiums that were passed upon him. 
 He stood his full six feet two and a 
 half; his frame seemed reduced to its 
 most nervous measure, and the ruddy 
 hardness of his features showed a glow 
 of tough and vigorous health, that could 
 hardly be exceeded in animal condition. 
 In attire and outline, he was, perhaps, 
 the best dressed and handsomest man 
 present ; and when we say this we give 
 
 full consideration to the claims and pre- 
 tensions of alii the mustachioed exquis- 
 ites, pugilistic competitors, dandy police- 
 men, editors and lawyers of a high and 
 low degree, who account themselves 
 " some" in the vocabulary of gogd 
 looks, and who were then and there 
 " on hand." 
 
 The great feature of the evening now 
 arrived, and amidst a strong sensation 
 and general applause, the Hon. Mr. Hyer 
 and Mr. Thompson leaped upon the 
 stage. In standing up in his silk net 
 shirt, Hyer looked more gaunt than we 
 expected, and his shoulder blades show- 
 ed as sharp through the glossy Woof, as 
 the ribs of a racer through a chestnut 
 hide. He is certainly under the mark 
 of one hundred and seventy-five, while 
 Thompson, on the other hand, has fat- 
 tened with his exercise, and showed to 
 the extent of some two hundred weight. 
 As soon as the combatants had bow- 
 ed to the audience with the grace of 
 Barnum's giant, and touched the tips of 
 each other's gloves with dignified 
 courtesy, they squared away amid a 
 profound silence, which evinced the 
 deep interest of the audience in w^hat 
 was about to take place. Hyer did not 
 hold himself so stiff as at his former 
 exhibition, though he still leaned back 
 more than satisfied the opinions of the 
 judicious. His design seems to be to 
 hold his face from danger in the coming 
 fight, which is very well, if he can at 
 the same time protect his lower ribs. 
 One of these two points, however, he 
 must yield to his acute antagonist, and 
 it is a matter of considerable question 
 among the learned in pugilistic science, 
 which of the two relinquishments will 
 subject him to the lightest injury. A- 
 part from its disfigurements, the face is 
 the safest point to give away, so far as 
 ultimate results upon the health are to 
 be considered, while the blows upon 
 the body, though they leave the mind 
 clear and permit a longer struggle, are 
 more lasting and hurtful in their eflVcts. 
 It is the difference between champagne, 
 which whizzes the thoughts beyond 
 command and soon lays its victim under- 
 neath the table, and blazing alcohol, 
 which bites into the bowels and leaves 
 a permanent imprint upon the inne/ 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 49 
 
 system. Hyer seems to have chosen to 
 preserve his features, but while he holds 
 his head well up, he has at the same 
 time adopted a firm lower guard, which 
 would be very difficult for any man to 
 pass, except, perhaps, the Hon. Mr. 
 Sullivan. 
 
 The first round or two between Mr. 
 Hyer and his friend was rather prosy in 
 its method, consisting mostly of a few 
 feints, and a cautious pantomime, in ihe 
 course of which but two or three good 
 hits were made by Hyer, without any 
 earnest disposition, as it seemed to us, 
 on the part of Mr. Thompson, to return 
 them. Indeed, he seemed to satisfy 
 himself with keeping on his guard, and 
 when he did- return, his blows were 
 handsomely, or, to use perhaps a more 
 correct term, slwwiiy, stopped. Five or 
 six rounds more followed, of much the 
 same character as the first, but during 
 the whole the surprise of all w^ho knew 
 Thompson's qualities was great in the 
 extreme, that he did not display to bet- 
 ter advantage. The backers of the be- 
 neficiary, however, insisted that the 
 cause of this, was Thompson's dread of 
 Hyer's counter-hits ; while others of the 
 same class, who pretended to be deeper 
 into the secret, gave several profound 
 winks, and slyly indicated that Mr. 
 Sullivan's friends " were not a going to 
 learn any pints from that are set-to."' 
 However this may be, the encounter 
 might very properly be termed a " wood- 
 en '' one. Had they been a pair of au- 
 tomatons arranged on mechanical prin- 
 ciples, and pulled to a set method by a 
 string, they could not have deserved less 
 independent credit. It is certain that 
 the afi"air did not give very general satis- 
 faction, and the opinion of ihe audience 
 seemed to be, that both the parties might 
 have done much better, had they pleas- 
 ed. 
 
 The whole aff'air was interesting, 
 however, as the grand precursor of the 
 fight ; and the satisfaction of seeing, in 
 action, a man who is soon desperately 
 to contend for the enormous stake of 
 S 10,000, was worth the individual out- 
 lay at the door. 
 
 There will be no more exhibitions 
 previous to the actual contest, and each 
 man will be as busy as possible in mak- 
 
 ing the final preparations for the strug- 
 gle. 
 
 As for Sullivan, having won the 
 choice of ground, he is now on his jour- 
 ney, via. Philadelphia, to select it. He 
 will make the most of his advantage by 
 scraping acquaintance with every indi 
 vidual for five miles round the country 
 in which the ring is to be pitched, and 
 thus will secure a local feeling in his 
 favor in advance of his antagonist, that 
 will protect his interests, if necessary, 
 on the ground. His journey is, there- 
 fore, a sort of electioneering expedition ; 
 and he will also make it one of profit, by 
 giving an exhibition in Philadelphia, 
 and perhaps in Baltimore, during his 
 advance or his return. These chances 
 the Hon. Mr. Hyer is deprived of, not 
 being entitled to know the location of 
 the arena until within ten days of the 
 fight. It is said, however, that he is 
 cheerfully content with this disadvan- 
 tage, having perfect confidence in his 
 ability, under all circumstances, to take 
 care of the end o^ the chapter. As to 
 this, we shall see. 
 
 Where the Hon. Mr. Sullivan will 
 pitch his stakes is not yet within con- 
 jecture, though many hope he will 
 choose the District of Columbia, so that 
 Congress may adjourn, after the fashion 
 of Parliament, for the Epsom races, to 
 see this most absorbing event since the 
 Presidential election, or the outbreak of 
 the California fever. 
 
 THE GREAT PRIZE FIGHT, 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Tom Hyer and Yankee Sullivan, 
 
 FOR TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
 
 WON BY EVER IN SEVENTEEN MINUTES AND 
 EIGHTEEN SECONDS. 
 
 From the N. Y. Police Gazette of Feb. 10, 1849. 
 
 The great prize fight, which has been 
 the standard topic of conversation for 
 the last six months in fighting circles, 
 and which, to conless the truth, has oc- 
 cupied a large share of the attention of 
 refined society during the same period 
 of time, came off", according to agree- 
 ment, on Wednesday, the 7th iust., at 
 
50 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 Rock Point, mouth of Still Pond Crock, 
 in Kent county, on the Eastern shore of 
 Marykmd, about 10 miles from Iniltl- 
 moro. 
 
 The location originally intended for the 
 arena, was Pool Island, in the upper 
 part of Chesapeake bay, which had 
 been selected by Sullivan three weeks 
 before as the most eligible spot for the 
 intended meeting, as he had heard that 
 its jurisdiction was disputed, or divided 
 by the State of Maryland and the Gov- 
 ernment of the United States. More- 
 over, it was thirty miles away, with 
 but two buildings, except the lighthouse 
 stationed on it, and therefore could not 
 produce much local in.terference with 
 the proceedings of the invading hordes 
 who would pour upon it on the indica- 
 ted day, as if from the mouth of the 
 everlasting pit. 
 
 But while Pool Island lay perfectly 
 t^uiet, showing no signs of disgust or op- 
 position, obstacles were breeding in 
 Baltimore, and by-and-by that virtuous 
 city, which usually has a man a week 
 killed in its streets, or two or three riots 
 in the same period of time, became so 
 indignant at the idea of making a hun- 
 dred thousand dollars or so, by having 
 a match of listicuils within electric dis- 
 tance ot its borders, that it organized 
 voluntary patrols to frown dow)i the 
 outrage, and stuITed a broken winded 
 steamboat with crowds of infantry arm- 
 ed to the teeth, to rake the Chesapeake 
 up and down, and in default of capturing 
 the combatants, to sing Watts's hymns 
 in honor of Gov. Thomas, the night 
 through. 
 
 These preparations on the part of the 
 authorities of the State ef Maryland, ajul 
 of the city of Baltimore, to stop the tight, 
 commenced on Tuesday morning, and 
 both the steamboats which had been 
 chartered by the several crowds, were 
 paralysed by the authorities with writs 
 against their captains, and one of them, 
 the Boston, was chartered by the State 
 tor the pursuit. While things were in 
 this condition, Hyer, apprehending, and 
 correctly as it proved, that warrants 
 would hi despatched after him and his 
 tniiner- slipped away from his training 
 g:o':5r.** / ad went to Carroll's Island, a 
 
 little island next to Pool's. Sullivan 
 had anticipated him in this prudent 
 course, having arrived at Carroll's Is- 
 land on Monday aflernoon, and crossed 
 to Pool's before Hyer's arrival. Hyer 
 shortly after crossed to Pool Island also, 
 and put up at the house attached to tho 
 light-house, while Sullivan had secured 
 the only other place for human accom- 
 modation, at some distance otf. 
 
 Leaving the principal parties thus be- 
 stowed, we^ will now return to Balti- 
 more, to see how matters progress with 
 those who have charge of tho grand 
 preliminaries of tho allair, and with 
 those likewise who wore endeavoring 
 to get a thimbleful of reputation out of 
 tho excitement, by trying to stop it. 
 
 Late in the afternoon of Tuesday, tho 
 backers, judges, referee, bottle-holders, 
 &c., of both parties, iji Baltimore, find- 
 ing that there was to be no steamboat- 
 ing on the following morning, hired two 
 oyster smacks, and embarked, to tho 
 number of one hundred, each side, and 
 at 10 o'clock, put out upon the Chesa- 
 peake, in a bright cold night, but so 
 tempestuous with the wind, that the 
 captains of the pungees had sonje ugly 
 doubts themselves as to the safety of 
 the surface of the bay. 
 
 Tho name of tho boat containing Sul- 
 livan's party was the " Whig,'* and as 
 she swung from the dock, the Boston 
 was " firing up " to carry her military 
 cargo to the same place to intercept them. 
 However, tho smacks sailed away un- 
 molested. At the same hour, High 
 Constable Gilford, of Baltimore, left with 
 thirteen men, across the land to the 
 nearest point opposite the designated 
 scene of combat. At a quarter before 
 12, the Boston got off on her errand 
 We have now tlu^ee expeditions all di 
 reeted to one spot, two of which wero 
 in pursuit, and the third dodging the 
 chase. 
 
 .THE DESCENT OF THE POLICE. 
 
 The pungees arrived at the island 
 first ; the ''Whig" reaching the shore at 
 half-past one, p. m. Joe Benrd, of Bal- 
 timore, and Country McCleester were 
 then sent ashore to see if Sullivan was 
 on the island, receiving directions, if he 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 it 
 
 were asleep, not to wake him, but to 
 let him have his natural rest till five 
 o'clock. They were then to wake him 
 and tell him the steamboat was coming 
 and to hurry him on board. Following 
 those directions, Joe, finding Sullivan 
 asleep, sat down by the fire as a sentry 
 and went to sleep himself. Ilyer's boat 
 had now arrived, when asimilareourse 
 was pursued in relation to him, the two 
 boats meanwhile swinging to their an- 
 chors, and wailing for the daylight and 
 the embarkment of their men. 
 
 In the meantime. Captain Giflbrd and 
 his thirteen arrived upon the western 
 beach of the bay at three o'clock, and 
 seizing a boat in the name of the State, 
 they unmoored, and set out in the biting 
 atmosphere for the island. As they ap- 
 proached it, they perceived the steamer 
 Boston entering on the scene. They 
 passed under her bows and hailed her, 
 but such was the howling of the wind 
 and the coldness of the night, that ihey 
 were unheard. Gilford then debarked, 
 and with his force, proceeded to Hyer's 
 house. 
 
 hyer's escape. 
 
 The friends of Hyer were not keeping 
 a bright look-out ; but one of them, ne- 
 vertheless, heard the tramp of the po- 
 lice and ran up stairs in time to give 
 Tom notice, whereupon he jumped up 
 instantly and putting Thompson, his 
 trainer, in his bed, ran down stairs, and 
 crept under the cot of a negress on the 
 ground floor. 
 
 While thus surrounded, Dutch Char- 
 ley conveyed him his clothes, and he 
 commenced dressing with the utmost 
 rapidity, to take advantage of the first 
 opportunity of escape. At this moment 
 the officers were being led up stairs by 
 the owner of the house, who knew no- 
 thing of the metamorphosis that had 
 taken place. The owner of the house 
 pointed to Thompson in the bed. Seeing 
 that he was a huge man, and taking 
 him for Hyer, the officers soon desisted 
 from their attempts to pull the cover 
 from his face, and leaving a small de- 
 tachment in charge, set out with the 
 rest for Sullivan's house. As soon as 
 they had gone, Hyer broke through the 
 sash of the room below, and commenced 
 
 running towards the beach, but he was 
 hailed by Winrow from a tree, who 
 joined him in the fii?ht. Arriving 
 at the beach, they found two men with 
 a boat belonging to the steam propeller 
 "Columbia," from Philadelphia, which 
 had just arrived off the island with 
 about one hundred passengers, to see the 
 fight. They thusreached their schooner, 
 and were safe. 
 
 Sullivan's escape. 
 
 When the police arrived at Sullivan's 
 house, after leaving Hyer's, Joe Beard 
 was dozing by the fire, but not so sound 
 as not to hear Gilford ask a question, and 
 the man of the house reply, that Sulli- 
 van was up stairs. He gave the alarm 
 in time, and Sullivan sprang out of the 
 window, but being confronted with two 
 men, one of whom levelled a pistol at 
 him, was glad to retire back. He then 
 roused Tom O'Donncll, his second, from 
 his sleep, and with that quickness of 
 thought for which he always has been 
 remarkable, threw a cloak over Tom 
 O'Donnell's shoulders, and clapping his 
 hands, exclaimed, "Run, Sullivan, run, 
 as if hell had kicked you!'' The ofiicers, 
 completely deceived at this, seized 
 O'Donncll, while the real Simon Pure 
 slipped away. Sullivan then ran to a 
 tree and climbed it for a few moments 
 in case they should return, but seeing 
 they did not, he slipped down, and 
 crawling low into the advancing dawn, 
 made for the beach like his opponent. 
 Meantime the officers were lugging 
 O'Donncll along, while Giffbrd would 
 renew his grip on his collar every mi- 
 nute, like a man who doubted he was 
 in a dream of fortune, and exclaim at 
 intervals in half soliloquy, " Ah, Sulli- 
 van, you're pretty smart, but you're not 
 smart enough for us ! " What he said 
 when he discovered how Sullivan had 
 fooled him, we have not heard. At the 
 beach Sullivan was met by Johnny 
 McGrath, the ex-champion of the Eng- 
 lish light-weights, who taking him on 
 his shoulders, marched with him through 
 the surf, and placed him in the propel- 
 ler's boat, and had him rowed on board. 
 
 THE EMBARKATION. 
 
 Soon after this the Cumberland moved 
 
52 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 towards Sullivan's pungee and put him 
 
 aboard. The propeller then started up 
 the bay, and the Boston, with the mili- 
 tary, mistaking her motions, supposed 
 the two men had been taken on board 
 of her and were going o-fF to tight. The 
 latter, therefore, set out in chase, leaving 
 the two pwngees, which really contain- 
 ed the objects of their search, behind. 
 Sullivan's boat then hailed Hyer's, and 
 Colton, to guard against surprise in case 
 they should leave the island and Hyer's 
 party remain on the ground, and win by 
 being present merely, calked out, "Show 
 us Kyer and we'll show you Sullivan.'' 
 Hyer and Sullivan were then brought 
 up. As soon as they gazed upon each 
 other, the eyes of the latter flashed like 
 fire, and he shook his fist at his tall oppo- 
 nent with a passionate epithet. " Look 
 here, my little man, " said the captain 
 of the " Whig, " "if you allow yourself 
 to get in such a passion on the start, 
 you'll get whipped. " " Will you fol- 
 low us 1 " said Beckett, Sullivan's prin- 
 cipal backer, to the opposing judge. 
 "Yes," said Hyer, answering himself, 
 "follow you anywhere." They then bore 
 up the Chesapeake, finishing up the pic- 
 ture of the chase, the propeller being 
 ahead, in the distance, the Boston next, 
 and the two pungees, which were taken 
 for outsiders going to see the fight, com- 
 ing last. After Sullivan's schooner had 
 got two or three miles away, those who 
 w^ere on board of her were surprised to 
 find they were not followed by the other 
 pungee, when dreading a ruse of Hyer's 
 party again, they returned. But when 
 they got back they found their suspicions 
 were unjust, and that Hyer's pungee 
 was aground. Sullivan took the oppor- 
 tunity to send ashore for his fighting 
 shoes which he had left behind, in his 
 flight. 
 
 Time kept running away, and still 
 Hyer's boat stuck fast, and in the cha- 
 grin of delay the eager parties were 
 more than once tempted to take advan- 
 tage of the absence of their pursuers and 
 the readiness of the ring, which stood 
 " all set" before their eyes, to settle 
 the business of the day before they got 
 back. Had they known how litt'e time 
 it was to take they might have done so 
 
 with ease. Meantime, the Boston had 
 discovered her error, and was returning 
 fast. By good luck for the fighters, 
 however, Hyer's schooner got afloat just 
 as she came up, and by bad luck for 
 the hungry sogers the Boston got 
 aground at the same time, and the two 
 pungees, free at last, sailed ofl" together, 
 with their fingers to their bowsprits, in 
 derision at the ineflectual attempts of all 
 Baltimore and Maryland to interfere 
 with the boys of New York. 
 
 It was now settled that Hyer's boat 
 should take the lead, and all hands being 
 rather wolfish by their numerous dis- 
 appointments, agreed to drop upon the 
 first conveinent spot, whether it was in 
 Maryland, or Delaware, or Virginia, or 
 hell. At half-past one o'clock they 
 espied four or five small oyster smacks, 
 and judging it to be a proper place, the 
 crowd, to the number of some two hun- 
 dred, debarked. 
 
 THE DEBARKATION. 
 
 The motley crowd, glad to set foot on 
 shore after the lengthened cramp which 
 they had undergone in their close quar- 
 ters, hastily poured out, and swarmed 
 in little buzzing knots upon the shore. 
 Sullivan was among the first who felt 
 the terra firma which he was to make 
 such familiar acquaintance with before 
 the afternoon was out, and espying a 
 house at the distance of some three 
 quarters of a mile ahead, set out to 
 reach it before the opposing party, in 
 order to secure what advantage there 
 might be in the earliest acquaintance 
 with the inmates. Hyer, more prudent, 
 however preferred to avoid the trudg- 
 ing through the snow, and laid himself 
 down in the bottom of a cart stulled 
 half full of straw, and suffered himself 
 to be driven easily to the same place. 
 A mile of circuit, which might have 
 been shortened by another patli, brought 
 them to the dwelling on the beach, and 
 under its roof both the combatants found 
 equal shelter. Each took up his quar- 
 ters in large rooms on either side of the 
 main hall, and huge fires of crackling 
 hickory soon streamed up the capacious 
 chimney-pieces, either in honor of the 
 unexpected comers, or in deference to 
 their powers of annoyance, should they 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 I|3 
 
 DC treated with any less difference than 
 was due to the actual lords in fee sim- 
 ple and manorial right, to the estate. 
 
 The principals, both in good spirits, 
 took their seats by the cheerful fires, 
 while their satellites in reverential si- 
 lence, grouped themselves around to 
 listen totheleast'expression which might 
 fall from those who were to be the he- 
 roes of the day. 
 
 SETTING THE STAKES. 
 
 Meanwhile the more interested of the 
 attaches of the separate sides, occupied 
 themselves in making preparations for 
 the ring. The spot selected for the are- 
 na by Sullivan's friends was between 
 the house and the farm, and the loca- 
 tion was considered favorable to the 
 former, from the lumpy character of the 
 surface, as it was expected that his 
 wrestling qualities would enable him 
 to throw his heavier antagonist, and 
 punish him the more severely by the 
 sharpness of his falls. The friends of 
 Hyer seemed, however, to have a due 
 appreciation of the policy of this inten- 
 tion, for after the snow was shovelled 
 from the surface they spaded fresh earth 
 and sprinkled the entire platform of the 
 ring, so that it was made as soft and 
 elastic as a carpet. The stakes were 
 then procured from pine billets found in 
 the neighborhood, and for want of better 
 gear, the top gallant halyards of the 
 "Whig" were taken for the ropes. In 
 the haste of their operations, the ring 
 was not set exactly square, but had an 
 oblique twist towards the sun, while 
 the southern side presented a slight ac- 
 clivity which promised, when it was 
 caughtby interested and observant eyes, 
 to become the bitterest battle ground. 
 At ten minutes past four everything 
 was set, and notice was given to the 
 parties iu the house that all was ready. 
 
 IN THE RIN». 
 
 Sullivan, shortly after this summons, 
 emerged from the house, beingpreceded 
 by one of his seconds who carried a 
 pair of hot bricks, which were intended 
 for his feet while waiting for the signal 
 to begin. As he approached the ring 
 his appearance was hailed with cheers, 
 
 and when he threw in his cap, which 
 was a velvet one of a rich dark green, 
 the most enthusiastic shouts were heard 
 from his friends. He took his seat upon 
 a chair that was provided for him, and 
 with his feet upon the bricks, waited 
 for the entrance of his foe. In two or 
 three minutes more, Hyer came forth, 
 borne on the brawny shoulders of his 
 friend Dutch Charley, and as he neared 
 the ropes, he shyed his castor, a foggy 
 looking piece of felt, into the arena be- 
 fore him. Another burst of clamor then 
 rent the sky, and amid increased enthu- 
 siasm, each man tied his colors to the 
 stake. That of Hyer was the spangled 
 ensign of his country, while Sullivan's 
 was a green fogle with oval spots of 
 white. Both men sat down on their se- 
 conds' knees, and confronted each other 
 while the final preliminaries were ar- 
 ranged. 
 
 While thus awaiting the summons to 
 the ordeal, the seconds, Joe Winrow and 
 John Ling, the first for Hyer and the 
 latter for Sullivai^, came forward and 
 made the toss for choice of ground. 
 This was won for Sullivan, who, there- 
 upon, reserved the corner where he al- 
 ready sat, giving to his antagonist the 
 bright and dazzling sun directly in his 
 eyes. The seconds now took their cor- 
 ners, Tom Burns taking the place of the 
 captured Thompson, Hyer's regular 
 trainer, and Country McCleester sup- 
 plying the absence of 'i'om O'Donnell, 
 on the part of Sullivan. Outside the 
 ropes, in waiting on the latter, was Ste- 
 phen Wilson, acting as a bottle-holder, 
 and on the other corner, similarly affix- 
 ed, was the brother of the lofty cham- 
 pion. At twenty minutes past four ex- 
 actly, Winrow asked the question, "Are 
 you ready?" "Yes," said Sullivan, 
 rising and beginning to strip off his out- 
 er domes, an operation in which he 
 was immediately followed by Hyer, and 
 which was accomplished by both with 
 the celerity of a stage metamorphosis. 
 In less than a minute they stood stripped 
 to the waist, and attired in their neat 
 fighting clothes. Such was the absorb- 
 ing interest which held possession of all 
 minds during these proceedings, that 
 but a single bet was offered and made. 
 Indeed, $35 was the entire amount that 
 
54 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 was wagered on the ground, and this 
 was bet even. 
 
 THE MEN. 
 
 As the antagonists stood up, all ready 
 for the strife, there was a marked dis- 
 parity in the appearance of the men. 
 Hyer stood six feet two and a half inch- 
 es, and Sullivan but five feet ten and a 
 half. The weight of the former, more- 
 over, was in the close neighborhood of 
 185, while the avoirdupois of Sullivan 
 was rated no higher than 155, making a 
 difference of thirty pounds in Hyer's fa- 
 vor. As to condition, both seemed equal. 
 They were as finely developed in every 
 muscle as their physical capacity could 
 reach, and the bounding confidence 
 which sparkled fiercely in their eyes, 
 showed that their spirits and courage 
 were at their highest mark. Sullivan, 
 with his round compact chest, formida- 
 ble head, shelving flinty brows, fierce 
 glaring eyes, and clean-turned shoul- 
 ders, looked the very incarnation of the 
 spirit of mischievous genius; "vrhile 
 Hyer, with his broad, formidable chest, 
 and long muscular limbs, seemed as if 
 he could almost trample him out of life, 
 at will. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Before coming to the scratch, the um- 
 pire for Sullivan asked the seconds of 
 his side if they intended to examine 
 Hyer's shoes, but they declined the for- 
 mality as a matter of but little conse- 
 quence, upon which the word was giv- 
 en and the men came up. According 
 to rule they were obliged to shake 
 hands before they began, but they per- 
 formed this ceremony warily and at ex- 
 treme arm's length. It was the busi- 
 ness of the seconds next to do the same, 
 but before they could reach th§ scratch 
 to go through the idle ceremony, the 
 eager crowd shouted them back, and 
 they gave way at once to the gladiato- 
 rial show. 
 
 Round 1st. — Sullivan with his arms 
 well up and every muscle swelling with 
 its preparation, darted towards Hyer, 
 who stood resolutely waiting for him 
 with his body well forward and in for- 
 midable readiness : and coming up to 
 him with a sort of run, let fly with his 
 
 left at Hyer's head, but did not get it in; 
 he then got away from a short attempt 
 of Hyer to counter with his left, but 
 Hyer followed the effort with an instant 
 discharge of his right in Sullivan's fore- 
 head, which made a long abrasion of 
 the scalp, but which, notwithstanding 
 the power of the blow, showed neither 
 blood nor discoloration at the lime. 
 Gathering himself for a return, Sullivan 
 then rushed in at the body, and after 
 two or three ineffective exchanges 
 clinched his antagonist with the under- 
 hold and struggled for the throw. This 
 was the great point on which was to 
 depend the result of the fight. Sullivan 
 relied mainly for success upon his su- 
 perior wrestling, and it was calculated 
 by his friends and backers, that a few of 
 his favorite cross-buttocks would break 
 his young antagonist in his lithe and 
 graceful waist, and not only render him 
 limpsey with weakness, but stun him 
 with the falls. The most terrible anx- 
 iety therefore existed as to the result of 
 this endeavor. In its fierce agitations, 
 the spectators, who stood in an outer 
 ring of plank laid over the snow some 
 feet distance from the ropes of the are- 
 na, involuntarily rushed forward and 
 swarmed against the ropes. Two or 
 three times did Sullivan knot his mus- 
 cles with an almost superhuman eff'ort, 
 but all served only to postpone his over- 
 throw ; for when he had spent his pow- 
 er by these terrible impulsions, his iron 
 adversary wrenched him to the ground 
 with the upper hold, and fell heavily, 
 prone upon his body. This decided the 
 largest part of the outside betting in fa- 
 vor of ihe upper man, and shouts of the 
 most terrific joy went up for Hyer. The 
 depression of Sullivan's friends was 
 equal in degree,^ and they began to get 
 an inkling that they had underrated 
 their opponent. 
 
 Round 2d. — As soon astime was call- 
 ed, both men hurried to the scratch, 
 Hyer working to the upper slope of the 
 ring, where stood the judges and the re- 
 feree, and thus slanting the sun be- 
 tween his body and that of his oppo- 
 nent, instead of taking its beams direct- 
 ly in his eyes. As Sullivan came up 
 this time, the blood from the scratch 
 upon his forehead made crimson confes- 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 55 
 
 (Bion of its severity, and elated the friends 
 of the tall one with shrieks of "first 
 blood for Hyer!'' Sullivan at this ho- 
 sanna rushed desperately in, and meet- 
 ing Hyer where he paused to receive 
 his char2;e, delivered a heavy blow with 
 his right on Hyer's left eye, taking a 
 counter on his opposing ogle in return. 
 Sullivan kept close up, and both kept 
 striking with the rapidity of two cocks 
 as they fly together, rendering it almost 
 impossible to see where, or how, the 
 hits were discharged. It was evident, 
 however, that the rally had not been at- 
 tended with serious effect to either side. 
 A feint from Sullivan, and a dodge from 
 Hyer, intervened ; when another rally 
 followed, Sullivan taking in return for 
 a couple of body blows two severe dis- 
 charges on the left eye, by a sort of 
 half upper cut with the right hand, 
 which brought the blood again. Sulli- 
 van then rushed in and clinched ; he 
 caught the underhold again, but his ef- 
 forts were naught, and he was twisted 
 to the ground as if he had been a man 
 of grass, his huge antagonist failing up- 
 on him as before with his entire weight. 
 Shouts for Hyer. 
 
 Round 3d. — The hopes of Yankee s 
 friends were now fading fast, and in- 
 deed he seemed impressed himself with 
 the idea that he was overmatched. He 
 looked at his opponent with a sort of 
 wild astonishment as he came up, but 
 with a desperate courage, as if conscious 
 nothing but the most reckless policy 
 alone could help him, he rushed up to 
 the scratch, and gathering cautiously, 
 after a wicked pause, he softened his 
 apparent intention with a feint, but 
 finding Hyer would not be drawn out, 
 lie let fly right and left, and catching 
 Hyer with the latter blow upon the body 
 (some say the neck) staggered him back- 
 wards a couple of steps and brought 
 him to a sitting position on the ground. 
 The shouts now went up on Sullivan's 
 side, and amidst the uproarious glee he 
 went smiling to his corner. 
 
 Round 4th —Both came up this time 
 with the utmost alacrity, Sullivan en- 
 couraged by his success, and Hyer 
 showing the utmost eagerness to get 
 even. SuHivan hurried up, and led off 
 without getting in, and Hyer, in his ex- 
 
 citement, not only returned short, but 
 open handed. This excited the atten- 
 tion of the former's backer, who, while 
 on the point of crying out, " Now, 
 you've got him, Jim," discovered that 
 Sullivan was open-handed too. The 
 warning, however, brought both of theja 
 to their senses, and made them close 
 their fists. Hyer then hit out right and 
 left, executing with the latter on the 
 old spot and taking a body blow in re- 
 turn., Sullivan then ran in and clinch- 
 ed, but his hold did him no good, for he 
 was thrown in the same manner as be- 
 fore, Hyer falling on him and lying 
 across him for several seconds, until his 
 henchmen could come slowly and take 
 him off. Expressions of dissatisfaction 
 here broke out from Sullivan's friends, 
 and the umpire of that side claimed 
 " foul," on the score that the upper man 
 was not sooner removed. Tlie question 
 was put to the referee, who, however, 
 decided '* fair." 
 
 E-ound 5th. — Sullivan, who had suf- 
 fered considerably, in the last round by 
 his eagerness to improve the advantage 
 he had gained in the third, led off with 
 the same reckless spirit and with the 
 s^ame desperate aim. He struck wildly 
 right and left at the head, but getting 
 slopped, next tried the body. His in- 
 cauiiousness, however, received a heavy 
 punishment in the shape of a tremen- 
 dous right-hand paixhan on the left eye, 
 which hit him down upon his hand, 
 with one kn-^e touching the ground. 
 Hyer rushed forward to hit again, but 
 checking himself, he raised his hands 
 as if afraid of being tempted to a foul 
 blow, and moving backwards, turned 
 towards his corner. At this moment 
 Sullivan's umpire, supposing the round 
 at an end, dropped his eye to his watch 
 and started his time. It happened, how- 
 ever, that as Hyer had turned away, 
 Sullivan, apparently wild, had risen and 
 recommenced the round; whereupon 
 Hyer turned upon him and |)ressed him 
 by main strength to the ground. While 
 this supplementary struggle was going 
 on, the umpire raised his eyes, and sup- 
 posing Hyer had turned to attack Sulli- 
 van after the round had finished, as he 
 had marked it, called out " foul." The 
 charac'^er of the renewal was explained 
 
5G 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 to liim, however, whereupon he with- 
 drew his complaint. 
 
 Round Gth. — Sullivan now began to 
 show his punishment and fatigue in a 
 slight nervousness of his legs, but still 
 he ran boldly up for desperate fighting, 
 as game as a pebble, and as resolute as 
 if the battle was still within his reach. 
 Several rapid exchanges were then 
 made, Sullivan catching it on the right 
 eye brow, in a counter to a body hit. 
 Hyer then fought Sullivan to the ropes, 
 and bent him backwards over them. 
 Some sharp fibbing took place, which, 
 proving rather unpleasent to Hyer, he 
 seized Sullivan and threw him and fell 
 on him, with his arm across his neck. 
 He remained in this position for some 
 moments, without interference by his 
 seconds, who saw that it was to his. ad- 
 vantage, whereupon a claim of "foul" 
 was made by Sullivan's judge. The 
 Referee, however, decided "fair."' 
 
 It was likewise claimed that in rising 
 Hyer had pressed improperly on Sulli- 
 van's neck, but the claim was not made 
 out. 
 
 Round 7th. — Sullivan, breathing short, 
 and exhibiting much fatigue, came up 
 the same as ever, and Hyer, as before, 
 stood on the slope to forbid his passage 
 one inch upon liis ground. The little 
 man, as he approached his huge anta- 
 gonist, seemed as if dispirited by the de- 
 cision of the referee, while he was near- 
 ly spent with the severe exertions that 
 he had made to hit and get away. But 
 he hit with no efi'ect, while the blows of 
 his powerful antagonist made the blood 
 flow profusely down his face, although 
 they had really less effect upon the un- 
 fortunate left eye than it seemed. Se- 
 veral exchanges were made, all against 
 Sullivan, when he rushed in again at 
 his wrestling hold, and found the ground 
 as he had done in these close encounters 
 every time before. 
 
 Round 8th. — The hit in the eye 
 which Hyer received in the second 
 round, now showed its colors, and puff- 
 ed up with dirty pride and vanity over 
 the surrounding flesh. Sullivan's left 
 eye was no better ; indeed worse, and 
 bore many testimonials in crimson cre- 
 
 vices of Hyer's black and long knuckles. 
 Sullivan again madeplay from the jump, 
 but got nothing in. As he hit out at the 
 body, Hyer struck short with the left, 
 as was his custom every time, when he 
 meditated mischief with his right hand, 
 and then let go with his dexter mawley, 
 driving the blood out from the left eye in 
 gory spray, but still not knocking his 
 staunch opponent down. Sullivan find- 
 ing that he could not parry off these 
 terrific hits, ran in again, but was 
 thrown as before, Hyer falling on him, 
 and lying with his breast across Sulli- 
 van's chest, neck, and lace. Hyer's 
 seconds were again slow in coming up 
 to take him oft\ upon which another ap- 
 peal of" foul " was made to the referee, 
 who, however, decided " fair," though 
 he admitted he could not see at all 
 times, in consequence of the crowd get- 
 ting between him and the men, and 
 jostling him about since the first round- 
 Round 9th. — " Time " came round 
 quick at this " call," as much of the 
 thirty seconds was consumed while the 
 men were on the ground. Both men 
 came up bloody to the scratch ; Sulli- 
 van being literally clotted with gore, 
 while the clear crimson smoked on Hy- 
 er's chest, from a lance wound which 
 had been made under his right eye to 
 prevent it from closing out his sight. 
 He was also dabbled with the drains 
 which ran from Sullivan, and which 
 painted his arms and bosom every time 
 they closed. Sullivan walked up to the 
 scratch this time wiih a freshened vigor, 
 and showed the same deterniiuation as 
 when he commenced, the battle. Hyer, 
 who was cool, and apparently unfa- 
 tigued, at once saw the real condition of 
 his man, and concluding that it was 
 now time to change his tactics, led off 
 for the first time. The Yankee seemed 
 better capable of resisting this mode of 
 warfare than making a successful ag- 
 gression, and dodged two wicked look- 
 ing blows ; but in endeavoring to return 
 with a rush, he brought Hyer to his 
 usual defensive position. He then took 
 Sullivan's blows without wincing or en- 
 deavoring to stop them, being satisfied 
 to take advantage of the right hand 
 counter which from the first had told 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 m 
 
 with such terrible effect. Sullivan 
 rushed in again to save himself from 
 punishment, and was thrown, with Hy- 
 er on him. 
 
 Round 10th. — Sullivan came up with 
 his hands open and showing distress. 
 He led off with ineffectual passes, which 
 only served to provoke punishment, and 
 give him the return of a wicked right- 
 handed hit in the old place, which stag- 
 gered him to the p;round. 
 
 Round 11th. — Hyer, strong on his 
 pins, respiring regularly, and evidently 
 in possession of all his strength. He 
 waited for Sullivan as before, and 
 though Yankee came up rather slower 
 than before, Hyer was content to wait 
 his approach rather than altera method 
 by which he was getting on so well. 
 On meeting at the scratch, a few rapid 
 hits were made, which ended in a clinch 
 and a wrestle to the ground, Hyer up- 
 permost as before, but with Sullivan's 
 leg locked over his until he was taken 
 off. 
 
 Round 12th.— This time both men 
 came up quick, and Sullivan led off, hit- 
 ting wildly and madly right and left, 
 while his cool antagonist, watching his 
 chance, took a short hit for the privilege 
 of countering on the old spot. Sullivan 
 then rallying his energies, tried the Se- 
 cor dodge, and endeavored to slip under 
 Hyer's right arm, to hit him from 
 behind, but he was stopped and caught 
 by Hyer with the left, on the top of the 
 head, with a round blow, which dis- 
 charged him to the ground. 
 
 Round 13th. — Up to this time all the 
 fighting was done in Sullivan's corner, 
 making HyerJ^ boast good that he should 
 not have an inch more than twelve feet 
 to do his fighting in. This round com- 
 menced by sharp exchanges right and 
 left, as if they had come together for the 
 first time. At length Hyer, finding it 
 was all his own way, rallied Sullivan 
 sharply, and driving him to the ropes, 
 backed him over them, and entered into 
 a smart exchange of fibbing. Hyer 
 caught hold of the ropes while thus en- 
 gaged, when a man from Boston, by the 
 name of Hennessy, seized his thumb, 
 and bent it backwards from its hold, 
 whereupon Hyer let go, and clinching 
 
 Sullivan, wrenchea him to the ground 
 and fell upon him. 
 
 Round 14th. — Sullivan giving out fast ; 
 Hy»er perceiving it entered briskly on the 
 offensive, fought him to the ropes and 
 fibbed him on them as before. After an 
 exchange of this kind of work, Hyer 
 jerked him from the ropes, and clinching, 
 wrestled him to the ground and fell up- 
 on him. 
 
 Round 15th. — Sullivan shaky on his 
 pins, and Hyer apparently as strong as 
 ever. As Sullivan came up and attempt- 
 ed to hit out, he slipped ; Hyer rallied 
 him to the ropes, hitting him right and 
 left in the pursuit, and bending him 
 again over the ropes. During this strug- 
 gle he caught his arm, and bending it 
 backward in its socket, gave it a wrench 
 that must have caused the most agoniz- 
 ing pain ; he then clinched and threw 
 him to the ground and fell upon him as 
 before. 
 
 R,ound 16th. — When time was called, 
 Sullivan was slow in rising from his 
 second's knee, an4 it was evident that 
 his fighting star had set, for the day at 
 least. He walked in a limpsey manner 
 towards the score, but when he put up 
 his left arm the tremor which shook it 
 showed that it was distressed by pain. 
 Hyer did not wait for him, b"it advancing 
 beyond the score, let fly both right and 
 left in Sullivan's face, who, though he 
 could not return it, took it without winc- 
 ing in the least. Hyer then rushed him 
 to the ropes again, and after a short 
 struggle there, threw him and fell 
 heavily upon him, in which position 
 Sullivan locked his leg over him again, 
 as if he would hold him in his place. 
 When he was taken off, Sullivan was 
 found to be entirely exhausted, and 
 when lifted up reeled half round and 
 staggered backward towards the ropes. 
 The fight was done. He could not come 
 in again, and one of his seconds took 
 him from the ring, without waiting for 
 time to be called. Hyer's second, as 
 soon as this took place, advanced to 
 take Sullivan's colors as their trophy, 
 but being interfered with and denied by 
 Ling, Hyer rushed forward himself, and 
 seizing Ling by the arm, enabled his 
 friend to take the prize. The shouta 
 
58 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 then went up for the victor, and the 
 ^arty commenced unthreading the stakes 
 of their halyards, for the voyage back. 
 
 Thus ended a contest which has ex- 
 cited more interest than any other pugi- 
 listic encounter that ever took place in 
 this country ; but which, though it en- 
 Igaged thousands of minds for a period of 
 six long months, was done up, when, 
 once begun, in seventeen minutes and 
 eighteen seconds. 
 
 The boats soon got up sail after the 
 battle was over, and made for Pool Is- 
 land again on their return. On arriving 
 at that place they found the steamer 
 Boston still aground, and as her warlike 
 freight came crowding to the side, the 
 pungees gave them three times three as 
 a compensation for the disappointment 
 they had received, in neither arresting 
 the principals, nor in gettins a peep at 
 the fight. 
 
 CERTIFICATE OF THIC JUDGES. 
 
 We hereby certify, that we have seen 
 the above rounds in manuscript as pre- 
 pared for publication in the National 
 Police Gazette, and believe they present 
 as full, correct, and impartial a report 
 of the fight which *hey describe, as 
 could be made undw ihe circumstances. 
 
 H. COLTON, 
 
 J. J. Way. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The foregoing contest mzty be aptly 
 termed a " hurricane fight." From the 
 commencement to the close it was bitter, 
 unremitting, and determined. On the 
 part of Sullivan it consisted of a series 
 of quick and alnjost superhuman efforts 
 to outfight and stun his antagonist from 
 the start, while Hyer, who seemed to be 
 thoroughly aware of his intent, content- 
 ed himself with standing at the scratch 
 and forbidding any entrance to his side, 
 by the tremendous counter hits which 
 5; he delivered in return for Sullivan's ra- 
 ^ ,pid visitations. He did not attempt to 
 make parrying a leading feature of his 
 policy, but for the greater portion of the 
 time cheerlully met Sullivan's blows for 
 the chance of countering back. He had 
 evidently settled upon this as his policy 
 for the fight, judging correctly, that if 
 
 hit and hit was to be the order of the 
 day, the weakest structure must go to 
 pieces in ike struggle. In addition to 
 this, Hyer showed excellent skUl in 
 fighting, and his method of hitting short 
 with the left, as a preliminary to the 
 paixhan discharge of the right, in the 
 style of a half upper cut, could not have 
 been excelled in the use which he made 
 of it, by the best hitters who have ever 
 shown themselves in the prize ring. To 
 help him still further, he was cool and 
 self-possessed, with the exception of a 
 moment or two at the opening of the 
 fourth round, ^hen he seemed either 
 shaken by his fall, or stung from his 
 control, by the cheers which greeted 
 Sullivan for the handsome blow. Sul- 
 livan on the other hand fought wild and 
 over eager. He did not display that 
 shrewdnes^s and care which has charac- 
 terized all his previous fights, but seem- 
 ed to consider himself in the ring, not so 
 much to decide some three hundred 
 thousand dollars, as to revenge upon 
 Hyer, in the bitterest and most sudden 
 manner, the personal hatred that stood 
 between them. I He ^urried to the 
 scratch at every tound, and commenced 
 leading off right and left, and when ob-, 
 iiged to take it more severely than he 
 bargained for, invariably rushed in for 
 a clinch, notwithstanding each succeed- 
 ing round proved more conclusively 
 than those which had gone before, he 
 could not throw his man, and that these 
 reverses invariably brought upon him 
 the severest punishment of all. He 
 was twisted to the ground invariably by 
 the superior strength of his antagonist, 
 and what in view of this, was surprising 
 to his friends, he would Asist strongly 
 every time, instead of slipping down as 
 easily as possible to save his strength. 
 As to Hyer's lying on him to the extent 
 he did, there has been much dispute 
 and while one party claims it to have 
 been " foui," the other insists that it was 
 a pardonable advantage. Between 
 these two opinions the referee decided 
 "fair." He decided so, properly. There 
 is no rule in " Fistiana" which pre- 
 scribes the length of time which a man 
 maybe allowed to lie upon another be- 
 tween the rounds, but the common law 
 of the ring gives to each side the pos' 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 B» 
 
 session of their man, the instant the 
 round is ended. Sullivan was, there- 
 fore, the property of his seconds the in- 
 stant he touched the ground, and they 
 were entitled to him, though obliged to 
 throw twenty men from his body to get 
 at him. It was natural for Hyer's sec- 
 onds to lei him lie when he had the ad- 
 vantage, but it was the duty of Sulli- 
 van's seconds to insist upon their rights, 
 and to acquaint the other side that, if 
 they did not take their man off in time, 
 they would throw him off. This they had 
 a right to do, and the result of their not 
 having done it, was, that while Hyer, af- 
 ter the struggle and the throw, would re- 
 pose at ease on Sullivan's body and draw 
 respirations of fresh atmosphere, Sulli- 
 van was crushed with the incumbent 
 weight, and capable of catching only a 
 few muffled breaths..! In addition to this, 
 Hyer being lifted first, got to his second's 
 knee in advance, while Sullivan would 
 scarcely reach his corner and have his 
 blanket thrown upon his shoulder, be- 
 fore time would be called, and he would 
 be started to his feet. He would then 
 run at his enemy, and irritated from his 
 balance, would rush upon the punish- 
 ment which he received. Had he been 
 well treated, he might have preserved 
 his temper and fought a little longer, 
 but no treatment could have made him 
 win. He was overmatched, and the 
 man whom he was fighting against, ex- 
 ceeded all expectations, both for skill 
 and strength. It is due to Hyer to state 
 at this portion of our remarks, that he is 
 not personally chargeable with any im- 
 propriety in lying on Sullivan as he did. 
 It was his duty to lie exactly where he 
 fell, till lifted by his seconds and earned 
 to his corner. The question was be- 
 tween the seconds altogether, and the 
 fault lay heaviest against the seconds of 
 Sullivan himself, for not insisting more 
 promptly and courageously on their 
 rights. Had the other side seen that 
 they were determined to have their man 
 the instant he touched the ground, they 
 would have been glad to have removed 
 Hyer out of their way. The claim of 
 " foul," therefore, for what was the re- 
 sult of their own negligence, could not 
 stand, and .Sullivan was the victim of 
 untoward circumstances. From the first 
 
 to last, however, he had no chance to 
 win. The reception of » the first hit 
 staggered him and his friends, while the 
 loss of the fall after the most desperate 
 efforts of his underhold, must have con- 
 vinced him he was overmatched. There 
 was then nothing left but desperate 
 fighting and an instalment of revenge 
 upon the mutual quarrel. What share 
 he got of this, the reader has already 
 seen, but it is our business to say, that 
 he might have got more personal satis- 
 faction if he had received proper care, 
 and not been stifled out of a large por- 
 tion of his time. He fought well under 
 the circumstances, and nothing could 
 have exceeded the courage with which 
 he confronted an assured fate. It was 
 a terrific struggle. The motives which 
 governed were Ambition, Avarice, and 
 Revenge, and the combination of such 
 master passions could not but stimulate 
 a bloody climax. 
 
 There never was, perhaps, a battle in 
 which there was so much fighting in so 
 short a space of time ; none, cjertainly, 
 in which more resolute punishment was 
 given and taken, without flinching on 
 either side. The history of the fight 
 consists in the fact that Sullivan was 
 overmatched ; and, in the further fact 
 that Hyer showed himself capable of 
 matching any man of his size and 
 weight doubtless, who exists in Britain 
 or the United States. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY MATTERS. 
 
 Sullivan returned to New York on 
 Thursday ; but Hyer, in passing through 
 Philadelphia for the same purpose, was 
 so intoxicated with the acclamations be- 
 stowed upon him for his victory, that 
 he suff'ered himself to remain over night. 
 The result was, that he was arrested on 
 the following morning, and on Friday, 
 was delivered up on the requisition 
 of the Governor of Maryland, to receive 
 the penalties of riot with his friend 
 Thompson, and Sullivan's trainer, 0'- 
 Donnell. 
 
 On Saturday, the following card ap- 
 peared in the advertising columns of one 
 of the N. Y. daily papers. 
 
 Sullivan's notice to his friends. 
 
 I hereby caution my friends through- 
 
60 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 out the country who have had money 
 staked on my fight with Hyer, not to 
 give up a cent, as I won the fight, ac- 
 cording to the rules of the ring, three 
 times, and never lost it once. 
 
 James Sullivan. 
 
 On the following day, however, this 
 was cancelled by the following : — 
 
 YANKEE Sullivan's notice to his 
 
 FRIENDS. 
 
 The advertisement in the papers of 
 yesterday, was not worded as I desired 
 my friend to write it for publication. 
 I did intend to say that, according to 
 the rules of the ring,I had won the fight 
 three times ; but the referee thinking 
 otherwise, I had to abide by his decision. 
 I am sorry that my words to the gentle- 
 man, who wrote the advertisment for 
 me, were so difi'erently construed from 
 my intent and meaning. 
 
 JAMES SULLIVAN. 
 
 On Monday, the Referee and Stake- 
 holder appeared in the N. Y. Sun, as fol- 
 lows ; — 
 
 CARD OF THE REFEREE. 
 
 At the contest between Thomas Hyer 
 and James Sullivan, at Still Pond Heights, 
 Kent County, Maryland, by the request 
 of both parties, and the unanimous ac- 
 quiescence of all present, I acted as Re- 
 feree, and by said authority decided that 
 said contest resulted in favor of Thomas 
 Hyer, according to Articles of agree- 
 ment. 
 
 S. Van Nostrand. 
 
 stakeholder's card. 
 
 Having been selected as stakeholder in 
 the late contest between Hyer and Sul- 
 livan, I have deemed it necessary to 
 publish the decision of the Referee, 
 which decides all moneys staked upon 
 the result in favor of Thomas Hyer, and 
 I have accordingly given up the main 
 stake of $10,000 to said Thomas Hyer. 
 John B. Frink. 
 
 The following extracts from the dally 
 papers of Febuary 8th, 1849, will give 
 an idea of the excitement manifested to 
 learn the result of the contest, and the 
 variety of reports in circulation : — 
 
 BY MAIL. 
 
 arrival of TOM HYER IN PHILADEL 
 PHIA, ETC. 
 
 Philadelphia, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 The excitement that prevailed in the 
 city relative to the prize fight, has sub- 
 sided, in consequence of the announce- 
 ment of Sullivan's defeat. This seems 
 to gratity most oi those who would 
 have previously rejoiced that the brutal 
 aff'air had been suppressed by the cap- 
 ture of both parties. They are satisfied 
 that Sullivan, who has been the cause 
 of all the priae fighting in this country 
 for several years, should have had his 
 comb cut and placed in the back ground 
 among the fancy for the future. 
 
 The nov/ champion of the ring reach- 
 ed the city by the train from Wilming- 
 ton ; &,nd visiting the telegraph office at 
 the i'jxohange, his presence there be- 
 came known, and the building was be- 
 siegrjd by an immense crowd, all anx- 
 ious to gaze upon this " new lion," (if 
 it is not a sin to call him after so noble 
 an animal.) He will not leave the city 
 till lo-morrow. 
 
 The correct version of the fight, ac- 
 cording to the account given by Hyer's 
 friends, is, that it occupied only sixteen 
 minutes, and that but fifteen rounds 
 were fought. The situation of Sullivan 
 is represented as being dangerous. His 
 whereabouts is not known, but he is 
 supposed to have been conveyed out of 
 the bounds of Maryland, and now re- 
 ceiving medical treatment, probably in 
 Delaware. 
 
 Hyer stops at Millers Hotel, in Ches- 
 nut street, wliich, of course, is literally 
 run down with the admirers of the 
 fancy. One would not have believed 
 that the city contained so many persons 
 that would debase themselves, by fol- 
 lowing in the wake of such a hero. 
 
 [From the Philadelphia Bulletin, Feb. 8.] 
 Hyer, the victor of the brutal prize 
 fight that came off at Rock Island yes- 
 terday afternoon, was in this city this 
 afternoon. On going to the Exchange 
 to send away a telegraphic dispatch, 
 his appearance was greeted by the 
 vociferous shouts of a large crowd, 
 who almost carried him bodily from tho 
 
VANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 61 
 
 cab that he was in, to the Baltimore 
 office, up stairs, and oack again to the 
 vehicle. The cab containing him and 
 two or three of his friends, passed the 
 office of the Bulletin, on its way to Mil- 
 ler's Hotel, Chesnut street, at a quarter 
 before 2 o'clock, P. M., followed by a 
 crowd who seemed positively wild and 
 frantic wiih excitement. The sudden 
 coming to town of G eneral Taylor could 
 not have occasioned a greater /7^ror. A 
 more disgraceful scene we never wit- 
 nessed in Philadelphia. 
 
 BY TELEGRAPH. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8,— A. M. 
 The fight took place yesterday about 
 6 P. M.,'at Roach's Point, Kent county, 
 
 Maryland. . , n v 4. * 
 
 Sullivan is badly punished, but not 
 
 dangerously. . . 
 
 Time occupied, about sixteen minutes. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 The fight took place last evening at 
 five o"clrK:k, ill U'-'iit coiuity, ten miles 
 below Pool's island. 
 
 There were but sixteen rounds. 1 hey 
 were fought in twenty-one minutes. 
 
 Sullivan knocked Hyer down by a 
 severe blow in the neck, which was 
 the only knock down. 
 
 Hyer drew the first blood, from Sulli- 
 van, and in the fifteenth round wrenched 
 his right arm. , . 
 
 Both of Hyer's eyes are bruised, and 
 Sullivan's right eye is terribly hurt. 
 
 Hyer, on the sixteenth round, caught 
 Sullivan's head under his right arm, 
 and punished him until he was satisfied 
 he was done for, and dropped him; 
 when he was forcibly taken from the 
 ring by his {riends— Hyer claiming the 
 victory, as Sullivan did not come up 
 a sain in time. 
 
 "it was terribly cold, and both suffered 
 from it, as well as from the race they 
 had from the authorities during the day. 
 
 It was one continual fight, nearly, 
 and Hyer drew the first blood from 
 Sullivan. 
 
 There were but a few spectators. 
 
 There is some dispute between the 
 judges and referee ; but there seems to 
 be no dispute as to the fact that Hyer 
 was too much for Sullivan. 
 
 The steamer, with the military on 
 board, is still ashore at Pool's Island. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 Sullivan and Hyer fought, at four 
 o'clock, yesterday afternoon, at Ptoach's 
 Point, Eastern Shore, ten miles from 
 Pool's Island. 
 
 They fought fifteen rounds in sixteen 
 minutes. 
 
 Sullivan had the advantage the first 
 three rounds. At the third round he 
 knocked Hyer clean down, by a blow 
 on the temple. 
 
 Hyer was considerably hurt by fib- 
 bing at the ropes. 
 
 At the end of the fifteenth round, 
 Sullivan's friends withdrew him from 
 the ring, his face having the appearance 
 of a butcher's blesck. 
 
 The parties soon after left the ground. 
 
 Hyer proceeded to Frenchtown, in his 
 boat. 
 
 Hyer is not much punished. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 The prize fight occurred yesterday in 
 Kent county, Maryland, ten miles 
 below Pool's Island. Sullivan was 
 whipped in sixteen rounds, the fight 
 lasting twenty minutes. Hyer was 
 knocked down the first round ; both 
 eyes were blackened. On the fifteenth 
 round Sullivan's arm was injured, and 
 on the sixteenth round, Hyer, caught 
 Sullivan's head under his arm, holding 
 it there, and beating him until Sulli- 
 van's friends dragged him, whipped, 
 from the ring. 
 
 Both the combatants, after the fight, 
 proceeded to Wilmington : thence home- 
 ward. 
 
 The steamer Boston is still aground, 
 with the military, police, ko., near 
 Pool's Island. 
 
 The railroad company are about 
 making a road over the ice in the Sus- 
 quehanna. 
 
LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 [Telegraphic Correspondence of the Philadel- 
 phia liulleun.] 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 The prize fight occurred yesterday at 
 4 o'clock, P. M., at Roach's Point, Kent 
 county, Md., on the eastern shore, about 
 ten miles below Pool's Island, the spot 
 originally selected. Sullivan was 
 whipped in sixteen rounds, lasting 21 
 minutes. Hyer was knocked down on 
 the first round, and had both eyes black- 
 ed, and Sullivan claimed " first blood.'' 
 On round third, Sullivan drove Hyer 
 to the ropes, and, while hanging there, 
 punished him pretty severely. Hyer, 
 however, in round fourth, came up, 
 half minute time, in good condition and 
 spirits, and the rounds to the fourteenth 
 inclusive, were fought cautiously by 
 both, with nearly equal success. On 
 round fifteenth, Sullivan was thrown 
 heavily, and had his arm badly injured. 
 Round si:tteenth commenced with a des- 
 perate grapple : Hyer caught Sullivan, 
 drew him to him, pressed him down, 
 caught his head " in chancery," thai is, 
 under his arm, and thus punished him, 
 until Sullivan's friends dragged him 
 whipped from the ring. Both parties 
 shortly after left the ground, and pro- 
 ceeded toward Wilmington, via French- 
 town. Those who witnessed the fight 
 state that Hyer, after its conclusion, 
 was not much injured, but Sullivan 
 was terribly battered. 
 
 The steamer Boston, with the mili- 
 tary, police, reporters, &c., is still 
 aground near Pool's Island. The 
 seconds, of both Hyer and Sullivan, 
 have been arrested in this city. 
 
 ARRIVAL OF SULLIVAN IN BALTIMORE AND 
 HIS DEPARTURE. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 Yankee Sullivan reached Baltimore 
 this morning, and was irrimediately 
 taken, by his friends, to Mount Hope 
 Hospital ; and his life is said to be in 
 danger. 
 
 He lias a slight fracture of the skull, 
 behind the left ear. One of his arms is 
 broken, and his face is cut awfully. 
 The scalp from the forehead, with the 
 eyelid, has fallen ou his cheek. 
 
 Ilyer was comparatively unhurt, and 
 walked down to the boat, whilst Sulli- 
 van had to bo carried. 
 
 Tom O'Donnell and George Thompson 
 were brought up by the police this 
 morning, having been captured at Pool's 
 Island, and in default of bail Avere com- 
 mitted to jail. 
 
 Hyer roped Sullivan twice, and has 
 punished him most awfully — every 
 blow brought the blood. 
 
 It is supposed here that Hyer will be 
 arrested cither in Philadelphia or New 
 York, to await the requisition of the 
 Go vernor of Maryland. The precarious 
 state of Sullivan's life, will probably 
 lead to this. 
 
 Baltimore. Feb. 8 — P. M. 
 
 Sullivan left the hospital this morn- 
 ing with his friends, after having his 
 wounds dressed, and took the York, 
 Pennsylvania, cars at the outer depot. 
 
 The Attorney General, Richardson, 
 has sent despatches to all the towns on 
 the road for his arrest and imprisonment. 
 
 He is said to be seriously, but not 
 dangerously wounded. 
 
 No tidings of his arrest yet. ' 
 
 arrest of the seconds, etc. 
 
 Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1849. 
 
 The steamer Boston has returned. — 
 Thomas O'Donnell, Sullivan's trainer, 
 and George Thompson, Hyer's second, 
 have been arrested and are now in jail, 
 unable to give security in the sum of 
 5^5,000 each. Sullivan is now here, in 
 the Mount Hope Hospital, dangerously 
 ill. One eye is out and his arm broken. 
 
 A despatch from Philadelphia, re- 
 ports Hyer as saying he should have 
 killed Sullivan if they had fought 
 another round. 
 
 THE EXCITEMENT IN THE CITY OF NEW 
 YORK — STREET CROWDS — GRAND IL- 
 LUMINATION IN HONOR OF 
 TOM HYER. 
 
 The excitement which raged in the 
 city on Wednesday, was increased on 
 Thursday, and all down town was in a 
 swarm, like so many bees. The news 
 boys, always ready to reflect the spirit 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 of the times, might be seen in pairs, 
 setting to at every corner, and in other 
 places where they are wont to congre- 
 gate. The youngsters felt lively, for 
 they disposed of their papers faster than 
 they could procure them from the press ; 
 and they filled up their odds and ends 
 of time by showing, in mimic encoun- 
 ters with each other, how the thing 
 was accomplished by Hyer and Sulli- 
 van. The greatest anxiety prevailed 
 amongst those who had made bets , and 
 there were as many anxious faces to be 
 seen awaiting the news, from hour to 
 hour, as may be seen in Wall or South 
 street, whenever a steamer arrives by 
 which news of a fluctuating cotton or 
 grain market is expected. There was a 
 vast amount of money bet on the result 
 of the fight, and all parties were anxious 
 to know how the matter really stood. — 
 There were hundreds and hundreds of 
 men and boys congregated about Yankee 
 Sullivan's house, during the whole day 
 and u-p to a late hour at night. Occa- 
 sional shouts were heard, and hurras 
 for Sullivan were now and then raised ; 
 but things in that neighborhood were, 
 for the most part, quiet. At the Foun- 
 tain House, in Park Row, a grand illu- 
 mination took place at night ; all the 
 windows in the front part of the house 
 were brilliantly lighted up, and a large 
 transparency was suspended from the 
 second story, displaying the words — 
 " Tom Hyer, the Champion of America." 
 So goes the excitement, which is as yet 
 by no means allayed. 
 
 From a New York Paper. 
 
 THE GREAT PRIZE FIGHT — ITS MORALE 
 AND IMMORALE. 
 
 The great prize fight is finished. Tom 
 Hyer is victorious over Sullivan ; but 
 according to the accounts which we 
 have received, at a tremendous cost to 
 the latter. It appears that short as was 
 the duration of the conflict, Sullivan 
 received so much injury as to endanger 
 his life. The excitement which this 
 contest has created in the public mind, is 
 unprecedented in the annals of classical 
 or heroic brutality, with the exception 
 of what was caused by some particular 
 duels with pistols that occurred in 
 
 former days, the breaking out ol the 
 war with England, or subsequently 
 that with Mexico Throughout this 
 vast community, notliing has been heard 
 or talked of for several days past, but 
 the fight between Hyer and Sullivan, 
 and the chances which each had in the 
 contest, which took place the day befo-re 
 yesterday. The only exceptions to the 
 general prevalence of this excitement 
 were the rigidly righteous, the pious, 
 the saints, the puritans, or those who 
 had no time to spare from their private 
 rogueries or pious prayers, to public 
 matters. 
 
 This contest has presented a singular 
 exhibition of human nature. As a 
 question of high and lofty morality, 
 prize fighting can only be placed on the 
 same level with duelling, either with 
 swords or pistols — single combats of 
 any kind, be they with sticks or stones 
 — or with war, either in detail, or 
 by wholesale. Blood, wounds, damage 
 to life and limb, and death, are the 
 usual consequence?} of such exhibitions, 
 in the ring of pugilism, the field of 
 honor, or on the field of general battle 
 between the armies of opposing nations. 
 All such exhibitions and contests are 
 contrary to the law of God, to the gos- 
 pel of Christ, to the principles of hu- 
 manity, as well as to the maxims of a 
 high and sovereign morality. Still, 
 however, it has been the weakness of 
 human nature to indulge in such pro- 
 pensities, from, the first fight — that be- 
 tween Cain and Abel, within sight of 
 the tree of life, and within listening 
 distance to the murmurs of the waters 
 of Eden — through succeeding ages and 
 centuries, to the present day. There is 
 but little use in bemoaning the inevita- 
 ble condition of humanity, or to snuflie 
 out a condemnation against those ex- 
 cesses or eccentricities which seem to 
 be part of human nature, from the first 
 era of life to the setting of last even- 
 ing's sun on the hills of the monopo- 
 lising State of New Jersey. All classes 
 of society — the rich and the poor, the 
 high and the low, the elegantly dressed 
 denizens of Wall street and Park Place 
 — all shades of our heterogeneous so- 
 ciety, were as desirous to know the 
 result as the loafers of Chatham square 
 
64 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 or the rowdies of the Bowery. Since 
 the famous duel between Mr. McDuffie, 
 of South Carolina, and Col. Cummings, 
 of Georgia— since the bloody encounter 
 between Jonathan Silly, a member of 
 Congress from Maine, and another from 
 Kentucky — since the celebrated duel 
 between Thomas S. Marshall, of Ken- 
 tucky, and James Watson Webb, of 
 New York — we have seen nothing that 
 created so great a sensation in the pub- 
 lic mind, which excited so much curi- 
 osity, and commanded so much atten- 
 tion among all classes of society, as 
 this fight between Thomas Hyer, and 
 Yankee Sullivan has done. 
 
 The result of the fight between Hyer 
 and Sullivan well nigh ruined the lat- 
 ter, in a financial point of view, and it 
 was a long time before he fully recover- 
 ed from its effects. His friends, how- 
 ever, never deserted him in his misfor- 
 tunes, and it was a cheering consolation 
 to him to know that although he had 
 lost the great battle he had not lost the 
 confidence of his friends. Shortly after 
 this, Mr. Sullivan, on account of some 
 alterations being about to be made in 
 the premises occupied by him at No. 9 
 Chatham street, was obliged to seek 
 quarters elsewhere, and for this purpose 
 secured the premises corner of Centre 
 and Franklin streets, where he at once 
 established himself, and his friends ral- 
 lied to his support. 
 
 The mania for fighting somewhat 
 cooled down after the great contest, and 
 nothing of any account transpired in 
 the prize ring until the 12th of August, 
 1851, when a match was fought in Cal- 
 ifornia, between Thompson, the trainer 
 of Hyer, and a man named John Mor- 
 rissey, not of much renown in pugilistic 
 circles. Thompson, in order to save 
 himself from the vengeance of an infu- 
 riated mob, should he defeat Morrissey, 
 was obliged to submit to defeat, though 
 
 in so doing it was admitted on all sides 
 that he acted wisely. Morrissey soon 
 after left California, and arrived in this 
 city, where his presence created no lit- 
 tle excitement, and a desire to see the 
 man who had defeated such an cut-and- 
 outer as Thompson. 
 
 It was not long before a desire was 
 expressed by some of the "boys" to "try 
 a hand" with the new addition to the 
 fraternity, and several names were men- 
 tioned in connection with the aff'air, the 
 most prominent of which, however, wels 
 the name of Hyer. Hyer, from a deep 
 friendship for the man who had given 
 so much time and attention in bringing 
 him [Hyer] to the scratch in good order 
 and conditionj and which eventually re- 
 sulted in his complete success, natural- 
 ly felt indignant at the treatment 
 Thompson had received, and so public- 
 ly expressed himself. Morrissey, elated 
 with his late success in California, con- 
 sidered the remarks of Hyer of such a 
 nature as to require some attention, and 
 a challenge was given by Morrissey. A 
 deposit of $100 aside was immediately 
 made for the parties to meet and arrange 
 matters for a match. The " Gem," in 
 Broadway, was the spot selected for t-he 
 parties to meet, and on the evening ap- 
 pointed, both men with their friends 
 were present, and Hyer, being the chal- 
 lenged party, and not wishing to engage 
 in battle unless it could be made an ob- 
 ject to him, stated that he was then rea- 
 dy to make a match to fight Morrissey 
 for the sum of S 10,000 aside, which the 
 latter not caring to risk, the match went 
 off. Hyer receiving the forfeit of $100. 
 
 This little affair seemed to give new 
 life to pugilistic raaiiers, and it was ap- 
 parent to all that a match would grow 
 out of it. Sullivan having met Morris- 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 65 
 
 sey in a public house, accidentally, it 
 was not surprising that they should no- 
 tice each other, and before the parties 
 left the house that night, a challenge 
 passed between them, and it was ar- 
 ranged that on the 1st of September, 
 1853, the men should meet at the house 
 corner of Whitehall and Bridge streets 
 in this city, and make the match. On 
 the evening in question the parties met, 
 and the following articles were signed, 
 and the first deposit of S250 aside made 
 good on the spot : 
 
 Articles of Agreement for the Fight 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 JOHN MORRISSEY AND JAMES 
 SULLIVAN. 
 New York, Sept. 1. 1853. 
 
 This is to certify that I, John Morris- 
 sey, do agree to fight James Sullivan in 
 a twenty-four foot roped ring, in strict 
 accordance with the new rules of the 
 London Prize Ring, in six weeks from 
 this date, making the fight to come off 
 on the 12th day of October, Wednesday, 
 between the hours of 11 o'clock, a. m. 
 and 2 o'c-lock, ?. m., for the sum of One 
 Thousand Dollars aside ; Two Hundred 
 and Fifty Dollars deposited this date, 
 September 1st ; Two Hundred and Fifty 
 Dollars to be deposited September 14th, 
 at the house of George Kensett, between 
 the hours of 8 and 10 p. m. ; Two Hun- 
 dred and Fifty Dollars to be deposited 
 September 28th, at the house No. 4 
 James street, between the hours above 
 named ; the remaining and final deposit 
 of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars to 
 be made at the house No. 324 Broad- 
 way, on the 5th day of October. And 
 
 we do hereby agree that „ 
 
 shall hold the stake money in this en- 
 gagement, to be given to the party re- 
 ceiving the decision ©f the referee of 
 having won it, fairly and honorably, 
 according to these agreements. Either 
 party failing in the deposits, shall for- 
 feit the amount in the stakeholder's 
 hands. Each party on the night of the 
 last deposit to select a man, they to 
 
 choose by toss who shall name the 
 ground of fighting, it to be within one 
 hundred miles of the city of New York, 
 and notice to be left with the loser of 
 the choice, four days previous to the 
 battle day, the 12th of October. Either 
 party failing to be in the ring between 
 the hours of 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock, on 
 the 12th of October, forfeits the battle 
 money. In case of magisterial inter- 
 ference, the referee shall decide the 
 next time and place of meeting. 
 
 c- J ? John Morrissey, 
 Signed, > T ^ c 
 ° ' y JAMES Sullivan. 
 
 The men immediately went into ac- 
 tive tr.aining, Sullivan at the Hit-or- 
 Miss, on the Plank Road, a few miles 
 from Brooklyn, and Morrissey at Mc- 
 Combs Dam. The last deposit of $250 
 a side was made at the Gem on the eve- 
 ning of the 5th of October, and on toss- 
 ing who should choose the battle ground, 
 Morrissey was the^ winner. Considera- 
 ble excitement was manifested through- 
 out the city as the day approached for 
 the gladiatorial contest. The day at last 
 arrived, and admirers of the sport wen- 
 ded their way to "Boston Corners," on 
 the line of the Harlem Railroad, about 
 100 miles from New York. This spot 
 was selected by Morrissey from the sup- 
 position that it was disputed territory 
 and that no attempts would be made to 
 put a stop to the "business of the day." 
 The various railroad trains from New 
 York, Albany, and the surrounding 
 countrys were filled with passengers, all 
 anxious to be at *'the meeting.' 
 
 At about nine o'clock on the morning 
 of the contest great numbers of people 
 were seen following the wagon that 
 contained the ropes and stakes, and, hav- 
 ing halted within a quarter of a mile of 
 the station the ''commissary" went to 
 work, and by eleven o'clock the ring 
 was completed, in the presence of be- 
 tween 2,000 and 3,000 spectators. Con- 
 
60 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 siderable delay now took place in conse- 
 quence of the difficulty of choosing a 
 referee, but a gentleman named Charles 
 Allaire was selected at last, and he agreed 
 to officiate in that capacity. At 25 min- 
 utes to 2 o'clock Morrissey made his ap- 
 pearance amid loud cheers, and. having 
 shied his castor into the ring, imme- 
 diately followed it, accompanied by his 
 seconds, T. O'Donnell and "Awful" 
 Gardner, who tied Morrissey's color 
 to the stake ; it was a long scarf, on 
 w-hich were emblazoned the stars and 
 stripes of the American flag, the appear- 
 ance of which was hailed with a uni- 
 versal cheer. Sullivan stepped into 
 the ring, amid the hearty applause of his 
 friends. He was waited on by William 
 Wilson and another, the former of whom 
 addressed the spectators, and said that 
 all Sullivan wanted — let him win or 
 lose — was a fair stand-up fight, and he 
 hoped that the lookers-on would preserve 
 order. He then proceeded to fasten 
 Sullivan's color to the post. It was a 
 black silk handkerchief, indicative — we 
 presume— of "Death or Victory." Pre- 
 vious to setting-to, Morrissey offered to 
 back himself for 1,000 to 800, or 500 to 
 400 dollars, but no one appeared wil- 
 ling to take him up. On proceeding to 
 their respective corners, and "unshel- 
 ling," it was evident that Morrissey had 
 much the advantage over his opponent 
 in age, height, and weight ; in fact Sul- 
 livan appeared old enough to be his 
 father. At seven minutes to two the 
 men quitted their seconds' knees, and 
 approaching each other, shook hands, 
 and put themselves in fighting attitudes. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round I. — Both men faced each other 
 steadily, but it was soon apparent that 
 as far as regarded science, Mortissey 
 
 was a complete novice, whilst, on the 
 contrary, Sullivan instantly threw him- 
 self into that easy London-school atti- 
 tude, that bespoke the adept ; he began 
 by feinting and stepping back, which 
 succeeded in getting his man within 
 his reach, when he instantly let fly 
 with his left upon Morrissey's nose, 
 wiiich had the effect of tapping the 
 claret, and drawing first blood. Mor- 
 rissey then hit out right and left, 
 but his blows were round and fell short. 
 Sullivan then again made play with his 
 left, reaching the left side of Morrisey's 
 face, and in jumping back to avoid 
 Morrissey's return, he slipped and went 
 down. 
 
 Round 2. — Morrissey's face looked 
 flushed and his nose was slightly tinged 
 with blood when he reached the scratch 
 He led off with his left, but was neatly 
 stopped by Sullivan, who caught him 
 heavily on the nose, the blood following 
 the blow in copious streams. Some 
 heavy exchanges then took place, which 
 were altogether in favor of Sullivan, 
 who eventually ended the round by 
 going down to avoid punishment. The 
 superior science of Sullivan was quite 
 manifest, and his friends were in ex- 
 tacies. 
 
 Round 3. — Sullivan all confidence, 
 while Morrissey's eye was much swol- 
 len and his nose bleeding profusely. 
 They did not wait for compliments, but 
 went at it "ding dong," Sullivan reach- 
 ing Morrissey's nose at almost every of- 
 fer, while the latter hit wild and with- 
 out precision, although he managed to 
 reach home on Sullivan's left eye. In 
 return Sullivan "gave him one" where 
 Morrissey 'chews his fodder,' by which 
 he unfortunately split a knuckle of his 
 left hand, which nearly disabled the fur- 
 ther efficient use of that hand during the 
 remainder of the contest. A clinch in 
 Morrissey's corner, and Sullivan part- 
 ly upon the ropes. He managed to 
 slip dowai, however, and no damage was 
 done. 
 
 Round 4. — This was a terrific round, 
 Morrissey's 'mug' showed unmistake- 
 able evidence of the handiwork of Sul- 
 livan's left ; he, nevertheless, went 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 67 
 
 pluckily up to his man, and missed a 
 well-intended blow on Sullivan's corpus, 
 ihe latter getting nimbly away, but 
 again advancing. Sullivan, cool and 
 calculating, went at his man determin- 
 edly, and succeeded in planting three 
 blows in succession upon his adversary's 
 sore spot, without a return. At this 
 stage of the fight Mon'issey's face exhi- 
 bited the most revolting appearance ima- 
 ginable — his eye was dreadfully swol- 
 len and the blood was flowing in a 
 perfect stream from each nostril. Mor- 
 rissey's eye had been lanced to stop the 
 swelling, but it was fast closing. Sulli- 
 van put in a 'one, two' on Morrissey's 
 'potato trap.' Morrissey now rushed at 
 Sullivan, and planted a teazer on his 
 sinister optic, which was soon swollen as 
 large as an egg. Both went to work 
 now in earnest ; give and take was the 
 order of the day, and many severe but 
 clumsy thumps were exchanged — Sul- 
 livan at length went to grass. This 
 was the best round of the fight. 
 
 Round 5. — Morrissey rushed on his 
 man and inflicted a body blow ; Sulli- 
 van returned the compliment with a 
 crack on the old spot, which he repeat- 
 ed with another ' one, two.' Morrissey 
 rushed at him, and caught him slightly 
 on the shoulder as he was going down. 
 
 Round 6.— Sullivan again came up 
 apparently weak, while Morrissey, al- 
 though his face resembled a raw beef- 
 steak, waf as fresh and strong as at the 
 start. Sullivan fought shy, as though 
 waiting to get his wind, but every once 
 in a while, seemingly whenever it suit- 
 ed him, he would send in a tremendous 
 hit, straight from the shoulder, upon 
 Morrissey's nose, drawing fresh blood 
 and causing the damaged eye to swell 
 till it was completely closed. Sullivan 
 again tried it at the old place, but was 
 met by a terrific smack on the chest by 
 Morrissey's right, which nearly knocked 
 him off his pins. Sullivan again visited 
 Morrissey's damaged ' phiz,' and artful- 
 ly went down. 
 
 Round 7. — Sullivan came up stronger 
 — having apparently gained his ' second 
 wind' — and as usual commenced the 
 round by popping in his left on Morris- 
 sey's nose. Morrissey returned, but I 
 
 was short, and Sullivan rq)eated his fa- 
 vorite blow, causing the blood to flow 
 copiously. A rally followed, in which 
 Sullivan planted a swinging blow upon 
 Morrissey's body. Morrissey hit out 
 with his right, but Sullivan got away, 
 feinted with his left, and having caught 
 Morrissey on the ribs with his right, 
 went down without a blow. Sullivan's 
 left hand appeared to be damaged. 
 
 Round 8. — Sullivan getting still 
 stronger, while Morrissey was bleeding 
 desperately from his hurts, and even 
 his seconds were covered with blood. 
 A little sparring, when a rally took place, 
 in which Sullivan delivered some terri- 
 ble body blows and finally went down, 
 himself untouched. 
 
 Round 9. — Sullivan opened the game 
 by planting a sharp hit on the old 
 wounds of Mofrissey, jumped back, put 
 in another, stopped Morrissey's return 
 and got in a third. Then some counter- 
 hitting took place, in which Sullivan 
 had the best of it, as Morrissey seemed 
 to hit short. Sullivan down, as usual. 
 
 Round 10. — Sullivan's left eye was 
 now almost gone, which, Morrissey per- 
 ceiving, he placed a severe blow on the 
 damaged ogle with his right, but napped 
 it in return again on the nose from Sul- 
 livan's left, who knocked Morrissey's 
 ' pimple' about as he pleased, but with 
 little apparent effect. Sullivan Anally 
 got his left in on Morrissey's ribs affd 
 went down. 
 
 Round 11. — Sullivan very wary, bis 
 left hand being injured and his left 
 peeper quite shut up. Sullivan's sec- 
 onds cautioned him to keep out, and 
 take it easy ; that he must surely win if 
 he would only be careful. Sullivan 
 went to work at the face : but he re- 
 ceived a tremendous body blow from 
 Morrissey, which made his side crack 
 like a whip. He, however, did not 
 seem to mind it, and rapped away at 
 Morrissey's face as vigorously as ever, 
 closing the round by falling. 
 
 Round 12. — Sullivan planted a heavy 
 right-hander on his opponent's under 'de- 
 soculator,* which was removed a consid- 
 erable distance from its proper place, 
 and increased its magnitude to an 
 alarming extent. Morrissey rushed wild- 
 
68 
 
 LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 ly on Sullivan, getting in on Sullivan's 
 eye. Sullivan then went down. 
 
 Round 13. — Short round. Sullivan 
 got his ' one, two' again in on Morris- 
 sey's • snuffbox.' Morrissey rushed at 
 him and seized him, but Sullivan slip- 
 ped through his hands like an eel, and 
 went down. 
 
 Round 14. — Another short round. 
 Sullivan planted two stinging hits On 
 the nose of his adversary and received 
 a return on his much disfigured cheek. 
 He went down as before. 
 
 Round 15. — This was a truly desper- 
 ate round. Morrissey, being told by 
 his second to ' go in,' rushed at his man, 
 but Sullivan, too leary, slipped on one 
 side, nailing Morrissey with a terrific 
 salute on the ribs. Morrissey, nothing 
 daunted, followed him up and got Sulli- 
 van with his back across the ropes in 
 such a position, that, had he known 
 more of ' ring fighting,' in all probability 
 he might have finished the fight at once; 
 but, from some unknown cause, he re- 
 linquished his advantage, and Sullivan 
 slipped down. 
 
 Round 16. — Short round. Sullivan 
 feinted with his left, caught Morrissey 
 on the ribs with his right, and went 
 down 
 
 Round 17. — Morrissey was urged by 
 his seconds to go in and fight, while 
 Sullivan's seconds advised him to keep 
 out. Severe punishment administered 
 on both sides. Sullivan ultimately 
 dropped down [cheers for both parties.] 
 
 Round 18. — Sullivan at his accustom- 
 ed ' dodge,' feinted with the left, and 
 catching Morrissey with his right, went 
 down with the blow, Morrissey derisive- 
 ly pointing at him. 
 
 Round 19. — Morrissey, seeing his op- 
 ponent weak, dashed in two body blows, 
 when Sullivan got down. 
 
 Round 20 — Sullivan succeeded in 
 drawing Morrissey, who rushed in, but 
 was met by Sullivan, when both went 
 to hard work, and each had his share of 
 punishment. Sullivan again down. 
 
 Round 21. — The friends of Morrissey 
 still offered to bet even that he would 
 win, notwithstanding all he had receiv- 
 ed, relying entirely on his great powers 
 »f endurance. Morrissey led off, but 
 
 was stopped. He tried again, and caught 
 Sullivan on the damaged eye, which 
 entirely shut out daylight. Sullivan got 
 in two or three more on Morrissey's aw- 
 ful looking countenance and fell. 
 
 Round 22. — This was a good fighting 
 round, hard hitting on both sides. Sul- 
 livan, as usual, went down. 
 
 Round 23. — Morrissey made play. 
 Sullivan on the retreat, yet he contrived 
 to plant a double ' one, two' on his op- 
 ponent's unfortunate conk. Morrissey in 
 a rush caught Sullivan a stinger on his 
 damaged cheek, which nearly grassed 
 him, but recovering his equilibrium he 
 ' returned to the charge.' Morrissey 
 aimed a swinging right-hander at him, 
 which Sullivan perceivingjslipped down, 
 and avoided it. 
 
 Round 24. — A hard round. They 
 both went at it in earnest as soon as 
 they reached the score, and countered 
 away on the heads of each other. Sul- 
 livan repeated his favorite visitations 
 several times on Morrissey's beak, and 
 received one or two in return. Sullivan 
 down again. 
 
 Round 25. — Sullivan continued to hit 
 his man on the ' raw' with his left, and 
 on the body with the right, but always 
 dropped at the approach of danger. 
 
 Round 26. — Sullivan again at the old 
 spot, and before Morrissey could reach 
 with his return, Sullivan was down. 
 
 Round 27. — Sullivan on approaching 
 the scratch, asked his opponent if he 
 was Champion now. Neither man did 
 much damage in this round. Sullivan 
 got in a body blow, and fell. 
 
 Round 28. — Sullivan, rather wildly, 
 hitting at the ' old spot,' and getting 
 down in the ' old style.' 
 
 Round 29. — Pretty much in the same 
 style as the previous round. 
 
 Round 30. — Morrissey got in a couple 
 of smacks on Sullivan's frontispiece, but 
 in return received principal and inter 
 est ; 2 to 1 on Sullivan. 
 
 Round 31. — Pretty much in Sullivan's 
 favor. Sullivan getting down, to avoid 
 punishment. 
 
 Round 32. — Sullivan commenced at 
 the face and Morrissey countered hira ; 
 several hard counter hits were exchang- 
 ed. Then Sullivan broke away, and 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 W 
 
 put iu three or four smacks on Morris- 
 sey's face as he followed him, and fell. 
 It was a sickening sight to see Morris- 
 sey at the end of this round — the blood 
 gushing in streams from nose, mouth, 
 and half a dozen gashes on his face. 
 The left side of Sullivan's head was 
 very large. 
 
 Round 33. — Morris&ey slow, and 
 seemed week in the knees. Sullivan 
 opened on the face and could put in 
 blows where he chose. After giving 
 Morrissey four or five hits and receiving 
 one on the eheek, he fell, after a swing- 
 ing right hand hit on Morrissey's ribs. 
 
 Round 34.— Sullivan got in at least a 
 dozen sharp hits in this round on Mor- 
 rissey's face, and fell in hitting at the 
 body. 
 
 Round 35.— Sullivan put in two right 
 hand hits, and, receiving a slight rap on 
 the sore cheek, fell. 
 
 Round 36— S'lUivan went up to Mor- 
 rissey, who appeared wild and weak in 
 the legs, and struck him when and 
 where he chose. His blows were not 
 so forcible as at first, but yet too much 
 for human nature to endure much long- 
 er ; and although Morrissey was bear- 
 ing up manfully, proving himself as 
 game a man as ever stood up in a ring, 
 it was evident that he was failing rapid- 
 ly. His knees shook, and his hands 
 were low, and his mind bewildered. 
 
 Round 37, and last. — The appearance 
 of Morrissey, who looked much more in- 
 jured than he really was, gave increased 
 confidence to Sullivan, who at once 
 rushed at Morrissey, getting in a slight 
 tap on the sore spot. Morrissey dash- 
 ed after him, and before Suilivan could 
 drop, caught him with his arm round 
 the neck, and rushed him to the ropes, 
 where he had him in an awkward posi- 
 tion. Sullivan endeavored to extricate 
 himself, and succeeded in turning Mor- 
 rissey by a very clever manoeuvre. 
 Morrissey's seconds, judging foul play 
 had been practised by the seconds of 
 Sullivan, rushed in to the assistance of 
 their man. In a moment the sieconds 
 were engaged in a warfare among them- 
 selves ; the ring was broken in, and a 
 general battle seemed inevitable. 
 " Time " was called, and Morrissey, 
 hearing the call, very quickly appeared 
 
 at the scratch ; but Sullivan was knock- 
 ing outright and left among the seconds 
 and friends of his opponent, and did not 
 hear the call, and the time allowed for 
 the appearance of the men at the scratch 
 after the " call " having elapsed, and 
 probably 2 or 3 minutes besides, with- 
 out Sullivan confronting Morrissey, the 
 latter appealed to the Referee, who de- 
 cided in favor of Morrissey. Morrissey 
 then left the ring, and Sullivan, having 
 got through with his other little matters 
 heard " time " called again, and went 
 up to the scratch, but it was too late— 
 the Referee had given his decision, and 
 from that decison there could be no ap- 
 peal. There was great dissatisfaction 
 expressed when the decision was made 
 known, and it was looked upon as an 
 extraordinary proceeding. 
 
 The fight lasted 55 minutes, and du- 
 ring that time Morrissey received punish- 
 ment enough to have satisfied almost 
 any man, but at the call of time he was 
 always on hand, and never flinched 
 from the blows dbalt him by Sullivan. 
 Sullivan had greatly the advantage, ow- 
 ing to his experience in prize fighting, 
 and his knowledge of every move in the 
 science of pugilism. 
 
 The sudden decision of the referee 
 took all by surprise, as Sullivan, at the 
 time, had all the best of the fight ; and 
 if continued for a few rounds more, Mor- 
 rissey would have been blind. Whilst 
 Morrissey could see, and come up to 
 time, he was no doubt a dangerous cus- 
 tomer, being a game and a resolute fel- 
 low, possessed of sound bottom, and a 
 formidable hitter with his right hand, 
 but as to pugilistic skill he is totally ig- 
 norant of it, as also of the rules of the 
 P. R., and lost many opportunities of 
 winning the battle, through a timid ap- 
 prehension of hitting a foul blow, Sul- 
 livan, on the contrarv, proved himself 
 to be perfectly aufaii to all the tactics of 
 the Ring. Had all the seconds kept their 
 places in the corners till the round was 
 finished, the fight no doubt, would have 
 come to a better conclusion. The refe- 
 ree did not appear to know his duty, and 
 had no right to give his decision until 
 order was restored, and he had been ap- 
 pealed to by the umpires. 
 
LIFE AND BATTLES OF 
 
 Sullivan published a card, cautioning 
 his friends not to give up the money bet 
 on him, &c., and the following chal- 
 lenge also appeared about the same 
 time : 
 
 CHALLENGE TO JOHN MORRISSEY. 
 
 It is entirely unnecessary for me to 
 state that I fairly and undisputably was 
 the winner of our last contest, twenty- 
 five hundred disinterested persons be- 
 ing present, and all, but perhaps ten 
 interested ones, being satisfied that such 
 w^as the fact. But, in order to convince 
 the public and your few prejudiced 
 friends that I am your superior in a 
 twenty-four foot ring contest and in 
 liberality, I am willing to give the dis- 
 puted money to any charitable institu- 
 tion, viz : Fire Department Widows' 
 and Orphans' Fund, or to any other 
 charitable object you can name, and 
 make a new match to meet you again 
 for $5,000, to come off within six weeks 
 from this day. Man and money ready 
 at my house, 82^ Chatham street. 
 
 James Sullivan, 
 Champion, not Irvin's champion. 
 
 The following is Morrissey's reply : 
 
 " A card. — I would not unnecessarily 
 intrude myself or my opinions upon the 
 notice of the public on matters relative 
 to prize fighting. But a sense of justice 
 to myself, compels me, under present 
 circumstances, to reply tc the challenge 
 of James Sullivan, which appeared in 
 the Herald of yesterday. In addition to 
 his challenge, he makes a most singular 
 proposition, to give away the money 
 which I have fairly won under the 
 rules of the prize ring, and according to 
 the decision of the referee ; and what is 
 more to the purpose, I have the money 
 now in my pocket. Mr. Sullivan may 
 oe a very charitable man ; but a propo- 
 sition on his part to give away my mo- 
 ney to some charitable institution, is, 
 indeed, a stretch of liberality unprece- 
 dented among prize-fighters, and one 
 that I am not willing to acknowledge or 
 subscribe to, when it is made entirely 
 at my expense. Such tricks are too 
 stale in this community, and the propo- 
 sition will, no doubt, be properly appre- 
 
 ciated. In answer to the challenge of 
 Mr. Sullivan, I will state that I am 
 ready and willing to make the match for 
 $5,000 aside, at a proper time and place, 
 in four months from this time, and all I 
 ask is fair play, for I am willing to go 
 far enough from New York, or any other 
 city where crowds cannot come to in- 
 terfere with the fight. I will also add, 
 as a bonus on my part, S500 to the stake- 
 money, which he, Sullivan, can give to 
 some charitable institution, after he 
 wins it. He can now have an opportu- 
 nity to gratify his ardent desire to whip 
 me in a ring, and will also be enabled 
 to exercise the charitable inclinations of 
 his benevolent heart, to the extent of 
 five-hundred dollars at my expense. If 
 Sullivan wants to fight me, he knows 
 where I can be found. If he intends to 
 play the braggadocio before the public, 
 he may have that part all to himself. 
 John Morrissey. 
 
 The above cards amounted to nothing, 
 however, for about that time our mo- 
 ral papers made a desperate onslaught 
 upon the authorities for not arresting 
 the principals in the fight at 'Boston 
 Corners.' Sullivan, at the same time, 
 concluded to give up prize fighting, and 
 retire from the Pugilistic Ring. The 
 following is his communication on the 
 subject. 
 
 Sullivan's retirement from the ring. 
 New York, Oct. 24, '53. 
 
 TO THE EDITOR OF THE N. Y. CLIPPER .' 
 
 Sir : — I was surprised at seeing a card 
 from the would-be Champion, censuring 
 the editors and reporters of newspapers 
 tor doing their duty in an honest and 
 upright manner. Every one knows that 
 this great, big, wooden man was no 
 more in my hands than a shuttle-cock. 
 He certainly did get the decision of the 
 Referee, but how did he manage to get 
 it ? Jim Irwin, who never ,won a shil- 
 ling honest in his life, can best tell. The 
 man has the impudence to call me a 
 braggadocio. 1 leave that to every man 
 in New York, friend or foe, to judge. I 
 have fought six battles in New York, 
 
YANKEE SULLIVAN. 
 
 71 
 
 five of which. I won, and the smallest 
 of those with whom I fought was 251bs. 
 heavier than myself. One of them I 
 consider no man on earth could have 
 fought much longer than I did, nor 
 harder. Now I would advise this would- 
 he fighting man to go to some other busi- 
 ness besides fighting, as he will never 
 become a star of that w^ater, for if he 
 could not lick a man forty-one years old, 
 thirty pounds lighter, and three inches 
 shorter than himself, he ought to hang 
 up his fiddle. 
 
 For my part, / am done forevr enter- 
 ivg the Prize Ring as a Principal, such 
 being the M'ish of all my friends, who 
 are all satisfied that I have done enough. 
 But to give him a chance to show his 
 pluck, which I doubt he has got but 
 very little, I w411 match a man against 
 him, who, at this time does not weigh 
 150 pounds, and he to be 160 pounds, for 
 $1000, if he can get any one fool enough 
 to back him ; I will also give him his 
 own time, but I must not have Allaire 
 for Referee. 
 
 N. B. — I hope no one who bet on me 
 will be fool enough to give up one cent 
 of the money on the decision of the Re- 
 feree, as it was all a sham to get the 
 outside bets. I have sued the stake- 
 holder for the recovery of the money, 
 that I know honestly belongs to me. 
 
 JAMES SULLIVAN, 
 
 Champion, 
 
 No. 82| Chatham street. 
 
 The stakes, after much discussion, 
 were finally given up to Morrissey, and 
 thus ended the ' Fight at Boston Cor- 
 ners.' 
 
 In consequence of the outcry made by 
 the ' moralists' of New York, warrants 
 were issued for the arrest of the princi- 
 pals and seconds in the battle, and Mor- 
 rissey and his seconds suddenly left for 
 parts unknown. Sullivan, however, 
 was not so fortunate. Lie was arrested 
 on the 3d of November, on a requisition 
 from the Governor of Massachusetts, 
 and conveyed out of this city, on Satur- 
 day, 5th November, and finally lodged 
 in the jail at Lenox, Berkshire County, 
 Mass., where he remained one week, at 
 the expiration of which time he was 
 released after giving bail in the sum of 
 S1500 to appear, when wanted. Sulli- 
 van's old opponent, Hyer, was his great- 
 est friend in this last difficulty, and es- 
 corted him back to New York on the 
 completion of his visit to the Yankees. 
 
 Mr. Sullivan is now quietly engaged 
 in attending to the wants of his custom 
 ers at his house, No. 82i Chatham street, 
 and those who favor him with a call 
 will meetwath courteous treatment from 
 all engaged about the establishment. 
 We wish him eyery guccess. 
 
TOM H YER'S 
 
 FULL REPORT OF THE GALLANT CONTEST BETWEEN 
 
 TOM HYER AND COUNTRY M'CLEESTER, 
 
 9tli September, 1841. 
 
 The antagonist of Hyer, in his first 
 fight, was the celebrated John McClees- 
 ter, more generally known as Country 
 McClusJcy, recently deceased. The 
 fight between these two men originated 
 in a private feud, which was brought ta 
 a determination by a visit of McCleester 
 to Hyer, in Park Row, on the night of 
 the 8th of September, 1841, and a pro- 
 posal that they should go over into the 
 Park and fight their differences out. 
 Hyer, hov/ever, unwilling to incur the 
 consequences of such a breach of the 
 peace, refused, and proposed a spot on 
 the North River, which, after some 
 chaff"ering, was acceded to ; and it was 
 agreed, that each should meet the next 
 morning on the Albany boat, accompa- 
 nied by a small number of friends. 
 They then retired to their beds to re- 
 fresh themselves as best they could, for 
 the terrible business of the morrow. In 
 the morning they were both on board 
 the boat at the appointed hour, and in 
 due time were left at Cauldwell's Land- 
 
 ing, a small place"^ up the North River. 
 They did not search long for a stopping 
 place, for a climb of about one hundred 
 yards up a steep hill near the shore 
 brought them to a natural platform, 
 which was exactly the spot for the bu- 
 siness in hand. They commenced at 
 once to strip, and the seconds proceeded 
 to adjust some matters which had not 
 yet been arranged. As the fight was 
 for a settlement of a quarrel, and as a 
 suspicion had been raised by their re- 
 spective enemies as to the game of either 
 man, to thoroughly test it, it was agreed 
 by all parties, that it should be a fair 
 ring fight, at half minute time, all blow& 
 to be considered fair, so that neither, 
 upon becoming tired of the work, or 
 afraid to continue, should resort to a 
 foul blow to end the contest. This left 
 no alternative but desperate fighting. J. 
 Somerindyke and A. Reynolds were the 
 seconds of Hyer, and Alick Hamilton his 
 bottle holder. McClusky was attended 
 by Sullivan and Ketchum as seconds, 
 
74 
 
 HYER'S FIGHT 
 
 and Nesbitt as bottle holder. No ri'.ig 
 was made, but the men ran into a scratch 
 drawn by Somerindyke, to which they 
 were called at five minutes past eleven. 
 
 THE MEN. 
 
 Upon coming up both looked well, 
 though Country's flesh appeared more 
 clear and compact than Hyer's, which 
 was ruddy, and though not loose, not 
 firm. Hyer has the advantage of a 
 greater length of reach than his antag- 
 onist and is three inches taller, straight, 
 symmetrical, lithe and sinewy, and al- 
 together a perfect model of a man for 
 his weight: which is 176 lbs. Country 
 is more soggy, but possessed of fine gla- 
 diatorial points, as some future comba- 
 ts^X may find to his cost. His weight 
 is 160 lbs. He is a hard working man, 
 and previous to this encounter is said to 
 have returned from a long voyage be- 
 fore the mast ; so his condition might be 
 considered tolerably good. Hyer, on 
 the contrary, had been irregular in his 
 mode of living, and has indulged during 
 the last two years in a life of leisure, 
 but little conducive to the vigor which 
 it was necessary for him, on this occa- 
 sion, to poosess. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round 1 . On coming up the odds were 
 20 to 30 on Hyer Upon taking his po- 
 sition, he stood firm and erect, and his 
 hands well up and his head moderately 
 forward. Country also stood well up, 
 though his manner was not as easy as 
 Hyer's. A slight, but wicked smile was 
 perceptible on the lips of each, which 
 spoke more mischief than a thousand 
 frowns, and they came to the scratch 
 readily and free. Hyer waited for the 
 assault, keeping his arms playfully free, 
 and ready for a fly. Country advanced, 
 made a leit hand pass, was stopped, and 
 Hyer caught him on the left cheek (first 
 blow from Hyer,) Country then rallied 
 sharply, a clinch followed, and he was 
 thrown. 
 
 Hound 2. Both came up eagerly, and 
 Country led oif left and right, in double 
 quick time, and succeeded in planting 
 a heavy blow over Hyer's eye, which 
 split it and started the claret (first blood 
 
 for Country ) Hyer returned with in- 
 terest in u desperate rally, and at the 
 conclusion went to the ground by a body 
 blow. Country hurt his right hand se- 
 verely in this round. 
 
 Round 3, Hyer stopped with his left 
 hand, made acharge,clinched,andthrew 
 M'C. heavily. 
 
 Round 4. Hyer at it right away with 
 his left upon Country's fifth rib ; C. an- 
 swered on the breast, but caught a hard 
 blow on the jaw again in return. A 
 clinch and tussle ensued, during which 
 they top-knolted severely. They closed 
 and tussled again, and Country went 
 down with Hyer upon him. 
 
 Round 5. Hyer hit slightly with his 
 left and right, and caught it severely on 
 the collar bone in return ; which, how- 
 ever, he answered by a tremendous body 
 blow ; a clinch followed, and Country 
 went heavily to the ground. 
 
 Round 6. Country led ofl' right and left, 
 and brought Hyer to the ground in a 
 clean and handsome manner by a body 
 blow. 
 
 Round 7. Smart counter hits right and 
 left; Hyer caught a heavy body blow, 
 they clinched, and Country went down 
 hard. 
 
 Round 8. Several exchanges, a rally, 
 .terrific fighting all over the ring ; Hyer 
 clinched, and after a short tussle threw 
 Country very heavy. 
 
 Round 9. Country made a rush, got 
 in a heavy body blow on the left side 
 (his favorite point) which H. returned 
 with tremendous force on the mouth, 
 and received a severe jaw breaker in 
 return, immediately followed up by an- 
 other of the same sort, though somewhat 
 lighter ; then followed a brisk exchange 
 right and left, the last of which from 
 Country brought Hyer down clean. 
 This round lasted 9 minutes. 
 
 Round 10. Smart exchanges ; a break 
 — Hyer gathered cautiously for a fly, let 
 loose, and caught Country a terrible 
 right hauderon the eye. Country then 
 made a rush and caught Hyer like a 
 Paixhan bomb on the lip and carried 
 him to the ground, hurting his right 
 hand again with the blow. 
 
 Round 11. Up to this time Country 
 might be said to have had the advantage, 
 
WITH M'CLEESTER. 
 
 75 
 
 Dut he now gave evident signs of dis- 
 tress : but Hyer, freshening with his 
 punishment, went to work in earnest ; 
 he struck fiercely and with tremendous 
 execution; the last blow fell upon C'.s 
 eye badly ; Hyer then ran in, clinched, 
 threw and fell heavily upon him. 
 
 Round 12. Wild exchanges— a rally 
 and C. went to the ground. Five rounds 
 of hard fighting and alternate success 
 here followed, the last one ending in a 
 clinch, which resulted in C. falling 
 back. 
 
 Round 18. The intervening rounds 
 up to this one were not marked by any- 
 thing of a specially interesting charac- 
 ter. On coming up this time Country 
 opened the ball, but was stopped left 
 and right. H. returned and C. caught 
 it badly in two visitations on the mouth, 
 returned by a body blow from C. in his 
 favorite spot on the left ; followed by a 
 clinch and C.'s overthrow. 
 
 Round 19. Sharp rally, counter hits 
 ending in a mutual blow which brought 
 both to the ground at once. 
 
 Round 20. Hyer led off but Country 
 got away ; slight counter ; Country re- 
 treated, but waiting for his opportunity 
 rallied and got in a heavy body blow ; 
 Hyer followed threatening mischief. 
 Country rallied again, reeled, slipped 
 and fell. 
 
 Round 21. Heavy exchanges, a clinch, 
 a break, hard hiiting, another clinch and 
 Country down. 
 
 Round 22. Desperate fighting and 
 both down. 
 
 The next five rounds were short, and 
 consisted of sharp exchanges of body 
 blows, each round resulting in a throw, 
 three to Country and two to Hyer ; in- 
 deed a clinch usually resulted in 
 favor of the latter. 
 
 Round 28, Country now began to 
 breathe with difficulty and to show evi- 
 dent signs of fatigue, while Hyer, on the 
 contrary, appeared to freshen with his 
 work ; he tried left, but C. got away. 
 C. advanced, hit round, but struck short, 
 and went to the ground with a collar 
 bone blow. 
 
 Round 29. Both came up well, C. led 
 off and after a brisk rally brought H. to 
 the ground. 
 
 Round 30. Country's friends, a little 
 cheered by this, encouraged their man 
 by saying — " You've got him now, 
 Country ; give him one of them old 
 Chatham Square fellows." '^Yes, he 
 has !" returned Hyer, ironically, accom- 
 panying the remark by a wink to his 
 party at the same time that he was 
 gathering for a spring. The thunder 
 did not rumble for nothing, for down it 
 came in a tremendous visitation on the 
 left side of Country's nose, which sent 
 the blood spirting out of it in streams, 
 and appeared to have literally split it in 
 two. The blow struck C. cl&an down. 
 
 Round 31. Country showed his 
 punishment by his distress. The fight 
 was now plainly Hyer's, and 20 to 5 
 was offered on him and taken two or 
 three times. H. led off", a rally followed, 
 ending in a clinch and C. went down 
 again. 
 
 Round 32. Terrible right hand blow 
 on H.'s ribs, which were now dreadful- 
 ly swollen from repeated hitting ; a 
 clinch, hit again, ^nd H. went down. 
 
 Round 33. A rally, clinch, and McC. 
 thrown. 
 
 Round 34. Close fighting, hard hitting, 
 and McC. down by a neck blow. 
 
 Round 35. A rally, close hitting and 
 McC. thrown. H. standing firm. 
 
 Eight rounds followed in favor of H., 
 in which he went down to the ground 
 three times. 
 
 Round 44. Heavy exchanges. H. 
 gathered for a charge, let fly with tre- 
 mendous force and caught C. on the top 
 of the head. Such was the power of 
 this blow that it split Country's head 
 completely open and sent the blood 
 gushing out in streams. It was the 
 opinion of several on the ground, that 
 had his head not luckily have been 
 down, this visitation would have killed 
 him. It was followed by another of 
 the same sort and C. was struck down. 
 
 Round 45. Counter hits, a rally and 
 both down. 
 
 Round 46. H. led off on C.'s ribs, C. 
 returned with a round blow in the old 
 spot. 
 
 Round 47. Both hit, a rally, a clinch 
 and McC. thrown. 
 
76 
 
 HYER'S FIGHT 
 
 Round 48. Short round, some hitting, 
 a close and both down. 
 
 Round 49. A desperate rally, a heavy 
 blow on H.'s ribs, a rally and both down. 
 
 Round 50. Hard hitting-, a rally and 
 H. down. 
 
 Round 51. A rally, clinch and McC. 
 down. 
 
 Round 52. Sharp fighting, H. down. 
 
 R.ound 53. Wild fighting, a clinch, 
 both down. 
 
 Round 54, Hard fighting, a clinch, a 
 break, counter hits struck, H. down. 
 
 Round 55. A short rally, McC. down. 
 
 The next six consisted of hard fighting 
 and a good exchange of body blows, 
 those by Country in his old spot. In the 
 62d round, Counlry caught a smacking 
 cut on the cheek which brought him to 
 the ground. Varying success followed 
 until the 69L'h. 
 
 Round 69. Country led off with his 
 right, but caught it in return on the ear ; 
 a close followed, they broke, Hyer made 
 a pass with his right, was thrown off, 
 and received a blow on the old place on 
 the side, which told so powerfully as to 
 start the blood through the flesh. 
 
 Round 70. A rally and Hyer dropped. 
 
 Round 71. Light exchanges and Hyer 
 down. 
 
 Round 72. H. struck down and C. 
 floored by the recoil. 
 
 Round 73. Both fatigued. Country 
 suffering very much. Hyer advanced, 
 made an offer with his right hand, was 
 thrown off, when a mutual blow was hit 
 that brought both to the ground, and 
 while they lay thus, Hyer, with a smile 
 and good natured remark of " put it 
 there, old fellow," reached out his arm 
 and heartily shook hands with his an- 
 tagonist. 
 
 Round 74. A rally, Hyer to work right 
 ind left, C. down. 
 
 Round 75. C. down on his knees, up 
 again and knocked dow^n. 
 
 Round 76. H. hit over C.'s shoulder 
 with his left, was caught and struck 
 down. 
 
 Then followed six rounds, in which 
 there was some short, hard hitting by 
 both, though everything was manifestly 
 in favor of Hyer, whose blows went 
 heavily in, while Country, from his 
 
 exhausted state, made rather shoves 
 than blows. 
 
 Round 83. Country tried with his 
 left and right, but got nothing in. Hyer 
 advanced, struck out, and carried him 
 down with a head blow. 
 
 Round 84. Wild exchanges with no 
 effect. C. down. 
 
 Round 85. A rally ; short, hard hits. 
 H. down. 
 
 Round 86. Hyer led off, hitting C. on 
 the mouth and nose with his right, and 
 repeating it on the ear with his left. C. 
 down. 
 
 Round 87. A guinea to a shilling on 
 Hyer. Country was nearly gone, and 
 nothing but his thorough game continued 
 the fight; still he made a good show, 
 and managed to carry Hyer down at the 
 end of a brisk rally. 
 
 Round 89. Poor Country came up 
 gasping, but free ; he could, however, 
 make no show at all ; the day waa" 
 against him, and he was striking against 
 fate. He went down. 
 
 Round 90, Country came up groggy, 
 but exhibited unflinching game. Hyer 
 succeeded in planting some heavy blows 
 in his mug, and he went down again. 
 
 Round 91. Slight counter hits, a rally, 
 and H. went down with a light body 
 blow. 
 
 Round 92. A short recovery. Sharp 
 hits right and left, and Country down 
 flying. 
 
 Round 93. Country lay gasping in the 
 arms of his seconds, who plainly saw 
 that all hopes of a favorable change 
 were extinguished. He was evidently 
 in a helpless state, and able only to re- 
 ceive punishment. To save him from 
 further unnecessary suflering, his sec- 
 onds determined to draw him ; but the 
 indomitable and true hearted fellow 
 begged in the mo.st earnest manner to be 
 allowed to go in once more. 
 
 Round 94. C. staggered up, made a 
 pass with his left, was caught, and 
 went down flying. Here his seconds 
 would have drawn him again, but he 
 begged as before, and was allowed the 
 privilege. 
 
 Round 95. Wild hitting. C, dread- 
 fully jobbed, went down by a head 
 blow 
 
HYER'S FIGHT. 
 
 77 
 
 Round 96. C, came up quite groggy, 
 while Hyer appeared to freshen. He 
 struck out with tremendous effect, caught 
 C. en the jaw, and carried him down. 
 Further effort was of no use to Country ; 
 he offered scarcely any resistance to 
 Hyer, whatever, who hit him when and 
 where he pleased. From this round to 
 'the 101st, Country's seconds endeavor- 
 ed to draw him, but suffered themselves 
 to give way to his desires to try it once 
 more. In the 100th round, Hyer, who 
 for the time had lost his usual self com- 
 mand, seconded his entreaties w^ith a 
 " let him come in, let him come in ; 
 I'll kill him this time." A neck blow 
 followed this remark, that made Coun- 
 try's collar bone ring again. In the 101st, 
 Country met with the same treatment, 
 when Sullivan would listen to him no 
 longer, but drew him at once, stating 
 that he had lost the tight, and resigning 
 his claim to the stake. Hyer was now 
 left the victor of a hard fought field of 
 101 rounds, which occupied three hours, 
 five minutes less. Country retired, 
 dreadfully punished, weak,and tottermg; 
 Hyer looked fresh, and capable of fight- 
 ing an hour or two more. 
 
 "The manner m wliich the matck 
 
 was fought,'' says the Sporting Chroni- 
 cle of that date, "reflects the highest hon- 
 or on the two combatants ; the rounds 
 were not made by dodging and dropping 
 without a hit, but were clear knock 
 down ones, all. It was, by far, a harder 
 battle than the celebrated one between 
 Brassey and Parker, on the 10th August 
 last, which was so much talked of in 
 the English papers, for it was a continu- 
 ous and desperate planting of foul blows 
 and fair, without interruption, and the 
 fight lasted five minutes longer. Some ex- 
 perienced pugilists were on the ground, 
 and declare the fight one of the best 
 that ever came off in the country : and 
 under the circumstances, Hyer's con- 
 dition being considered, perhaps the 
 best. Hyer is but 22 years of age. He 
 is, however, no fighting man, and does 
 not wish to be so considered ; on the 
 contrary, he refuses ever to fight anoth- 
 er match. Not many, wx imagine, will 
 interfere with his having his way.'' 
 
FATAL PRIZE FIGHT 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 LILLY AND xM'C Y, 
 
 AT HASTINGS, N. Y., ON TUESDAY, SEPT. 13, 1842. 
 
 The fight between Christopher Lilly 
 and Thomas McCoy originated at a 
 sparring exhibition in the Bowery, 
 where both parties met shortly after the 
 former's victory over Murphy. They 
 had been old acquaintances, and there 
 was an unsettled grudge between them. 
 Amid the general encomiums bestowed 
 on the youthful conqueror, McCoy's 
 voice was silent, and when challenged 
 for his opinion, he gave it in opposition 
 to the prevailing sentiment. This Lilly 
 couldn't bear, and feeling desirous to 
 brush away any existing doubt from his 
 rival's mind, asked Tom to put the 
 gloves on with him for a set-to and try. 
 But the latter refused, and in an instant, 
 Lilly hit him a straightforward blow 
 that carried him to the floor. McCoy 
 rose and rushel in, but they were soon 
 separated, and a match was instantly 
 proposed. Everything was soon arrang- 
 ed ; a deposit was, either that evening 
 er the next day, made, and each party 
 went in active training — McCoy into the 
 
 hands of James Sand ford, and Lilly in 
 the care ®f McGee. 
 
 On Tuesday morning, 13th Sept., 1842, 
 the appointed time, the fight came off 
 according to the articles of agreement. 
 
 The morning was just such a one as 
 people generally prefer for not intruding 
 upon, as the rain poured in torrents, the 
 consequence of which was, that not 
 
 one-fourth of the number that witness- 
 ed the fight between Sullivan and Bell 
 were in attendance. The steamboat 
 Saratoga, (McCoy's;) Indiana, (Lilly's ;) 
 Boston, Gazelle, Napoleon and Conroy, 
 were all chartered to convey passengers 
 to the spot selected for the fight, and be- 
 tween eight and nine oclock, as the rain 
 ceased and the sun began to show him- 
 self, these beats took th'jir departure 
 from the city with only 1500 passen- 
 gers. They proceeded up the Hudson 
 about twenty miles, to a spot selected 
 about half way betweeen Yonkers and 
 Hastings, in Westchester Co. The posi- 
 tion of the ground was excellent, oeing 
 on a flat, lying between the Croton Ac- 
 queduct and the Hudson, slightly declin- 
 ing, and thus giving an amphitheatrical 
 view from the ropes to the top of the re- 
 servoir. The termination of the sub- 
 lime scenery of the pallisades opposite, 
 the view of the noble Hudson, the vil- 
 lages of Piermount and Nyack, in the 
 distance, on the opposite shore, and the 
 exciting scene in the immediate vicinity, 
 all tended to render the place selected 
 as the very best spot that could have 
 been chosen for the occasion, adding as 
 it did to the comfort and convenience of 
 all present. The arrangements in and 
 about "the spot" were also good, there 
 being two large outside rings shielding 
 the "twenty-four feet square" from the 
 
LILLY AxND M'COTS FIGHT. 
 
 »9 
 
 crowd; the time was now drawing near 
 when the men were to enter the ring, 
 and every man was looking for a place 
 to view the fight. 
 
 Thfi followingaccount of the men and 
 the battle is given by an eye-witness. 
 
 THE MEN. * 
 
 Lilly is said to weigh 14(>, though 
 many believe him to reach as high as 
 145 lbs. ; he is twenty three years of 
 age, and an inch taller than his antag- 
 onist. Oil stripping, he presented a fine 
 appearance. His skin was very clear 
 and light in color, but firm in texture 
 and healthy in tone. His form is 
 round almost to perfection ; his sides, 
 instead of branching from the waist, 
 gradually outwards to the arm-pits, 
 circle concavely inwards like reversed 
 crescents ; his neck is strong and mus- 
 cular in a high degree ; his head — a 
 fighting one,remarkably well set — small, 
 round, bony, with a small featured dial, 
 and his underworks, though atfirst some- 
 what light to the eye, are sufficiently 
 strong for endurance. 
 
 If Lilly's appearance was fine,McCoy's 
 was beautiful. His skin had a warmer 
 glow than the former's ; his form was 
 more elegantly proportioned, and his 
 air and style more graceful and man- 
 like. His swelling breast curved out 
 like a cuirass ; his shoulders were desp, 
 with a bold curved blade, and the mus- 
 cular development of the arm large and 
 finely brought out. His head was rath- 
 er large and long, yet it indicated cou- 
 rage and a love for strife, and the man- 
 ner m which it was set betokened 
 strength. He was but twenty years and 
 two months old, and weighed 1371bs. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Lilly first entered the ring, attended 
 by Ford and McCleester, the former 
 seconds of Yankee Sullivan in both his 
 battles ; and on tossing up his cap, was 
 warmly greeted with cheers from his 
 side of the ring. McCoy soon after fol- 
 lowed, with James Sanford and Henry 
 Shanfroid,and on following suit with his 
 castor,was greeted in like manner. While 
 they were stripping, the interest was so j 
 great, that every man on the ground ap- 
 
 peared to have a desire to stake some- 
 thing on the issue, and even bets, to a 
 large amount, were made. Neither man 
 could be said to be the favorite, for of the 
 ten or twelve thousand dollars that were 
 certainly known to be "up," all was 
 evenly wagered. After the men were 
 peeled, the Judges and Referee were se- 
 lected, the toss was made for the choice 
 of position and won by McCoy, who took 
 the rising ground, though with it he had 
 the sun directly in his eyes. When all 
 was ready, McCoy went over to Lilly, 
 and pulling out two bank notes of $100 
 each, wagered it with the latter; then 
 both shook hands across with the seconds, 
 retired to their corners, and awaited the 
 cry of "havoc. ^' 
 
 Round 1. 1 o'clock, exactly. At the 
 call of "time," both came directly up, 
 neither offering the customary hypocri- 
 sy of a greeting. They sparred with 
 some caution for a time ; at length, Mc- 
 Coy slightly advanced across the 
 scratch and w^atching his chance, let 
 fly with his left, but was stopped. Lilly 
 then shifted his ground, when McCoy 
 closed, and during a short struggle, in 
 which each endeavoured to fib, the lat- 
 ter was heavily thrown. Lilly rose un- 
 hurt and McCoy went smiling to his 
 corne-r, with blood trickling from his 
 left ear. (Shrieks of "first blood !" "hey, 
 go it my Lilly !" from Sullivan and others 
 in Lilly's corner.) Between this round 
 and the next, a person said to be a magis- 
 trate of the county was pointed out to me, 
 who appeared to be remonstrating with 
 Sullivan and others; but on "time"' being 
 called I was obliged to withdraw my at- 
 tention, and saw no more. 
 
 2. McCoy came up eagerly and with 
 a remark of " You aint got old Murphy 
 to deal with now," struck out, caught 
 Lilly on the breast, but received a tre- 
 mendous visitation on the mouth ; in re- 
 turn, in straining forward to answer it, 
 McCoy slipped and went down. 
 
 3. Some wary sparring and shifting 
 about ; at last Lilly hit out and caught 
 McCoy severely on the neck, from which 
 McCoy slipped down on his knee, Lilly 
 smiling at him. 
 
 4. Both wary, McCoy giving ground 
 and showing slight fatigue, Lilly made 
 a slight Dush out at McCoy's breast, and 
 
80 
 
 LILLY AND M' COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 McCoy went down. (Laughter and 
 cries of "Bah ! bah !" from Sullivan and 
 Lilly's friends.) 
 
 -5. Lilly came briskly in and went 
 right to work, caught McCoy again on 
 the mouth ; McCoy countered and fell, 
 (cries of "/ow/.") 
 
 5. Both eager, heavy exchanges by 
 both, right and left : McCoy then rush- 
 ed in, when Lilly chopped him with his 
 right severely on the back ; Tom, how- 
 ever, soon stopped this work, and in a 
 short violent struggle both went to the 
 ground, side by side. 
 
 7. McCoy came up, 
 
 -his lip and neck's pure dyes 
 
 dabbled with the deep blood which ran 
 
 o'er," 
 
 showing an eager desire to fight. In re- 
 turn to a pass he made, Lill}'' struck 
 out with his left, caught his man in the 
 abdomen, from which the latter fell, and 
 rose from the ground pointing at his 
 stomach and complaining of a "foul" 
 blow. An uproar immediately ensued ; 
 the two parties violently charging and 
 denying,during which the Judges agreed 
 that the blow was "foul," and on appeal- 
 ing to the Referee, had their decision 
 affirmed by him. Here the fight should 
 have ended. But the principal backer 
 of McCoy, from excess of generosity, 
 refused what he called "an advantage," 
 and though the decision was worth some 
 thousands to him, demanded that the 
 contest should go on. In the interim, 
 some one had called "time," and the 
 men, by appearing at the scratch, con- 
 cluded all foregone exceptions. 
 
 8. Lilly led off with a sharp cheek 
 blow, followed by a tremendous repeater 
 on McCoy's mouth ; McCoy then rushed 
 in, and after a few sharp exchanges, 
 closed, endeavored to throw Lilly, who 
 turned him, however, as he was going 
 down, and fell heavily on him. 
 
 9. Lilly came up bleeding freely at 
 the nose — they went at it fiercely, and 
 planted a heavy mutual hit; a little 
 sparring and another counter followed, 
 ending in a clinch, each firmly locking 
 the other's hands. A dispute ensued, 
 both claiming "foul" — considerable time 
 elapsed, at the end of which, in obe- 
 dience to the numerous cries of " fight ! 
 fight !" they struggled violently together, 
 
 and McCoy was again turned under, 
 with Lilly on him. 
 
 10. McCoy put in a severe body blow, 
 and in following with the other hand 
 over-reached himself and fell. 
 
 IL Even bets freely offered on Mc- 
 Coy — Lilly looking flimsy and distress- 
 ed. McCoy came up smiling and confi- 
 dent, received a hit from Lilly on the 
 chin, rallied and closed on him. Lilly 
 caught him well and both fibbed severe- 
 ly, a struggle ensued, at the end of 
 which Lilly turned McCoy and fell on 
 him as before. 
 
 12. McCoy smiling and speaking in 
 an under tone to his antagonist, as he 
 squared up to him. "$100 to $80 on 
 McCoy!" Cautious sparring : both struck 
 out, and both stopped the ugly looking 
 threatened visitations. McCoy made 
 another heavy offer, which not getting 
 home, in consequenc of a quick aside 
 movement of Lilly's, threw him forward, 
 badly off his guard, which Lilly took 
 advantage of by giving him a sharp up- 
 per cut as he fell. This was done in a 
 careless and rather contemptuous man- 
 ner, as if he would say, "There, take 
 that for your stupidity !" (Cheers for 
 Lilly.) 
 
 13. Tremendous counter — rush by 
 both, and heavy exchanges, clinch, and 
 McCoy down at the ropes. 
 
 14. "$100 to $60 on McCoy!'' This 
 offer, though McCoy had no perceptible 
 advantage of Lilly, was not taken ; Lil- 
 ly's friends fearing, probably, that there 
 was something more in it than met the 
 eye. McCoy came up full of confidence, 
 exclaiming, "Ah, Tve got you now, old 
 fellow, sure !" and planted two sound- 
 ing body blows "Yes, you have !" an- 
 swered Lilly scornfully, and following 
 up the remark,made a hit at Mac's mouth 
 which made everything ring again. Mc- 
 Coy, at this, rushed madly in and closed; 
 but after receiving some severe punish- 
 ment from Lilly's right on the small of 
 the back, he was turned and the latter 
 fell heavily on him. 
 
 15. Heavy countering. Lilly hit out 
 below the belt, as low as the groin, but 
 was stopped by McCoy. (Cries of "foul.") 
 Lilly hit again, closed and threw McCoy, 
 and fell heavily upon him. McCoy on 
 getting up, complained of being "hit 
 
LILLY AND M'COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 81 
 
 foul ;" the Jadi,'es saw it, and were 
 again agreed, and loud cries of "foul" 
 were shouted from all parts of the ring. 
 Lilly's seconds defended him by saying 
 that the blow was "thrown off," and 
 McCoy's hackers again passed away 
 their right, by declaring they wanted no 
 such advantage. 
 
 16. Heavy body blow thrown m by 
 McCoy, — returned on the mouth by Lil- 
 ly twice successively. McCoy rallied, 
 rushed in, and sharp fibbing ensued by 
 both — they then broke, exchanged an- 
 other hit, closed again, and after a brief 
 struggle, McCoy threw Lilly heavily, 
 and fell on him. (Cheers and "$100 to 
 f 60 on McCoy !") 
 
 17. Lilly hit out weak, in answer to 
 a light body blow from McCoy ; he made 
 another pass, and McCoy dropped. — 
 (Hisses, and cries of "bah ! bah !'") 
 
 18. McCoy got in a light body blow, 
 and dropped away from a wicked re- 
 turn. 
 
 19. Lilly improving — McCoy got in his 
 usual body blow, which was returned 
 by Lilly heavily in ihe old place on the 
 mouth. Heavy counters — Lilly getting 
 in a terrific lunge on McCoy's left eye ; 
 a close by McCoy followed, who, in 
 trying to.throw Lilly ,was turned himself, 
 and fell heavily, witfi his antagonist up- 
 on him. The fight had now lasted 20 
 minutes. 
 
 20. Cautious sparring. In getting away 
 from threatened danger, Lilly slipped 
 on his knee — rose, followed, and deli- 
 vered a stinging hit on Mac's lip, cutting 
 it badly, and starting the blood out in 
 streams. McCoy returned with a heavy- 
 lunge full on Lilly's frontal bone. Lilly 
 then attempted to rush in, but short, 
 quick exchanges followed, ending in a 
 clinch, and McCoy was heavily thrown, 
 with his man on him again. 
 
 21. Even betting — Lilly freshning — 
 both came up free. McCoy commenced 
 by delivering a a tre nendous blow on 
 Lilly's mouth, starting the blood as 
 from his own in the round before; clincn, 
 and in falling, McCoy turned under, 
 and Lilly fell in his lap. 
 
 22. McCoy came up smiling, with 
 the blood streaming over his breast and 
 upper lip, his left cheek and eye show- 
 ing theefi"ects of their heavy visitations. 
 
 He caught two sharp ones again on, the 
 old places, and m attempting to return, 
 slipped and fell. 
 
 23 McCoy came up again ; on ap- 
 proaching Lilly, he taid in an under 
 lone — " I've got you, sure enough !" 
 which Lilly answered instanter, with a 
 sharp cutting blow on the offending or- 
 gan. McCoy rushed wildly in, when 
 Lilly tapped him again. and in the clinch 
 that followed, after some sharp in-fight- 
 ing by both, Lilly was thrown. 
 
 24. Three or four sharp blows by Lil- 
 ly in McCoy's dial ; — all the ronnd his, 
 except the throw, which resulted in his 
 2oing outside the ropes. Cheers for 
 "Tom !" 
 
 25. Both cautious and self-possessed. 
 Lilly stopped two mischievous looking 
 offers, and in a clinch, threw his oppo- 
 nent heavily — falling on him. 
 
 26. McCoy, from the profuse manner 
 in which he perspired — globules of 
 sweat clustering ail over the surface of 
 his body — now plainly showed that his 
 condition had been too fine ; and to make 
 the matter vv^orse, his second (he could 
 be said to have but one) after dragging 
 him by the armpits to his corner, check- 
 ed the glow by drenching with cold wa- 
 ter. On coming up, he received a head 
 hit which he countered in the breast 
 heavily, then clinched his man, and 
 threw him through the ropes. 
 
 27. Two sharp ones for Lilly in the 
 old place — close, and both down. Even 
 betting. 
 
 28. Lilly cool as a cucumber, and 
 wary as an Indian — McCoy, on the con- 
 trary, too free, and too ready to fight. 
 (Strange that his seconds could not tell 
 him to restrain his ardor.) Lilly put in 
 three successive terrific neck blows, 
 which had a squelching sound that 
 could brheard all over the crowd. Mc- 
 Coy, game as a pebble, and fearless as a 
 lion, rushed wildly in, caught two or 
 three more before he could clinch, and 
 then was badly thrown. 
 
 29. McCoy's lip very much swollen, 
 and the blood from his mouth streaming 
 profusely over his breast. He appeared 
 somewhat confused from the punishment 
 of the former round, and received three 
 successive hits in the face ; the last 
 carrying him down straight. 
 
LILLY AND M' COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 30. McCoy plainly showing his 
 punishment, and his right eye also he- 
 ginning to complain, while Lilly, save 
 by a slight swelling of the upper lip, 
 was scarcely marked. McCoy caught 
 it again twice, and went down with the 
 last blow clean. 
 
 3L McCoy evidently much fatigued 
 and worried, caught it again severely in 
 the old place — returned with a body 
 blow, and dropped stupidly. Cries of 
 " Go it, flower, you've got him licked 
 now /" 
 
 32. Lilly had now proved himself by 
 all odds the best hitter, and was also pe- 
 culiarly adroit in saving himself from 
 punishment and over-labor ; — on the 
 other hand, McCoy was free and un- 
 guarded, and continually wasted him- 
 self with ineffectual efforts, in his am- 
 bition to do too much. Lilly planted 
 one on his nose, at which McCoy clinch- 
 ed, but was pressed to the ropes, and, 
 after a short struggle, was badly thrown, 
 Lilly falling on him bodily as before, — 
 Mac complaining of " foul " as he went 
 to his corner. 
 
 33. McCoy's lip dreadfully swollen, 
 and the whole contour of his face alter- 
 ing its expression. He struck strongly 
 out after stopping a blow, and fell down 
 on his knee. 
 
 34. Lilly got in another of his cutting 
 blows on the right cheek, — a close, and 
 sharp in-fighting, and a bad fall for Mc- 
 Coy ; Lilly on top as usual, and in obe- 
 dience to Sullivan's cries of " Lie on 
 him, Chris ! lie on him !" remained on 
 the breast of his gasping enemy until 
 lifted off. The fight had now lasted 
 forty minutes. 
 
 35. McCoy came up smiling thiough 
 all his gore, and renewed the common 
 trick which he had practised in the few 
 first rounds, of pointing in a bantering 
 manner to his own face, as if to say, 
 " Why don't you hit me there V Lilly 
 obliged him at once by planting a wick- 
 ed shot on his nose which McCoy an- 
 swered by a sharp rally and a close, 
 which resulted in Lilly's being thrown, 
 and his head striking smartly against 
 one of the posts. 
 
 36. Both cautious ; heavy body blow 
 for McCoy, and a tremendous counter 
 
 for Lilly in his neck. McCoy returned, 
 but not getting home, fell. 
 
 37. McCoy confused, and very much 
 astray. Instead of looking at his man, I 
 saw his eyes glance around the ring. 
 However, he righted before his situation 
 was discovered or taken advantage of, 
 and stopped a dangerous approach ; he 
 then replied with a good efibrt, but not 
 getting in, fell back from Lilly's threat- 
 ened return. 
 
 38. Lilly got in another in the old 
 place ; McCoy slightly answered it in 
 the body, and went down. 
 
 39. Lilly waited for the assault, and 
 kept well on his guard; McCoy, as usual 
 led off, was stopped, and received a 
 severe blow on his chin, followed by 
 another on the right cheek ; McCoy 
 then rallied, and rushed in, and they 
 both dropped to the ground together ; — 
 McCoy's arms being around Lilly's 
 neck. 
 
 40. McCoy right at it again — struck 
 a round blow which found its home on 
 Lilly's left shoulder-blade ; endeavored 
 to get in a repeater, but Lilly jumped 
 quickly away, and he struck short, and 
 fell — Lilly laughing. 
 
 41. McCoy stopped a mischievous of- 
 fer from Lilly's left,— was not so fortu- 
 nate in regard to his right, which caught 
 him heavily in the breast, — McCoy ral- 
 lied and was thrown hard— Lilly on 
 top. 
 
 42. As McCoy came up, some one 
 cried out " He's getting weak !" to 
 which Tom replied, as he squared a- 
 way, "I'm "as strong as ever;" and 
 striking out as he spoke, caught Lilly 
 with his right upon the breast, who 
 tried to counter on the head, but" didn't 
 get in. Lilly then rushed in, and threw 
 him heavily on his face, the blood gush- 
 ing profusely from his mouth as he got 
 up. 
 
 43. McCoy, notwithstanding his 
 dreadful punishment, came up laughing, 
 and was the first to begin Both hit to- 
 gether, after which they clinched, and 
 Lilly fibbed him severely. A wrestle 
 followed and McCoy was again badly 
 thrown, with Lilly on him. 
 
 44. McCoy too ready, and worrying 
 himself with unnecessary effort. He 
 
LILLY AND M'COys FIGHT. 
 
 83 
 
 made two or three lunges from which 
 Lilly stepped lightly away. McCoy 
 came up again, and while measuring 
 for another blow, Lilly darted under his 
 arm, rose behind, and let drive a tre- 
 mendous shot on the left side of his 
 head ; McCoy clinched, but was again 
 badly thrown, with Lilly on him, 
 though he managed to roll him over. 
 
 45. McCoy still bleeding profusely. 
 On going up to the scratch, Sandford 
 said to him, " Go at him now, as I told 
 you Randall did, and you'll have him 
 licked in three rounds !" to which Lilly 
 scornfully replied, " I can lick him, and 
 you after him, on the same afternoon." 
 McCoy tolled him on bv pointing at his 
 face, which invitatiwi vfas accepted by 
 Lilly with two dreadful blows, one on 
 the chin, and another death stroke on 
 the neck. McCoy rushed in, returned 
 it wildly on Lilly's head, and went down. 
 
 46. Light countering — Lilly cautious- 
 ■ ly approached, preparing for a fly, when 
 
 McCoy dropped, and Lilly walked to his 
 corner, laughing carelessly. 
 
 47. Light countering ; another sharp 
 death blow in McCoy's neck ; a strug- 
 gle, and he was heavily thrown. 
 
 48. Lilly got in four sharp successive 
 hits, which spread the blood all over 
 McCoy's face— he spat part of it back 
 at Lilly, went in, and was again badly 
 thrown. " SlOO to 50 on Lilly"— itaken 
 by Sandford. 
 
 49. Heavy exchanges — rather in Mc- 
 ^ Coy's favor, who drove Lilly to his own 
 
 (Mac's) corner : where Lilly closed, 
 and dropping his head, butted Mac in 
 the stomach, throwmg hinri back. Cries 
 of "foul" — (long dispute, and " time " 
 lost.) 
 
 50. On time heing called, the men 
 came up readily a^ain. Counter hitting 
 —close, and McCoy heavily thrown, 
 Lilly on top. (One hour.) 
 
 51. McCoy bleeding all the while, 
 and his face disgustingly swollen and 
 disfigured. Lilly hit him again on the 
 mouth — closed— fibbed him severely — 
 threw him, and fell heavily upon him. 
 
 52. Two sharp hits on the head, and 
 another death blow in the neck for Lil- 
 ly, the last carrying McCoy down, clean. 
 
 53. Some cautious sparring — McCoy 
 
 made around hit in Lilly's back, and 
 dropped away from the return. 
 
 54. In reply to some remark of Lilly's 
 on their meeting at the scratch, McCoy 
 replied — " Oh, there's no need of a hur- 
 ry—we've got a week before us.'' Lilly 
 waited for him, watched his chance, and 
 dropped one on his old place on the 
 mouth. McCoy quickly countered, and 
 heavy lunges were exchanged, conclud- 
 ing with a splendid hit for McCoy on 
 Lilly's chin ; the latter then rushed in, 
 and after a mutual effort to fib, McCoy 
 broke away and gave him the upper cut. 
 Lilly rushed in again, when McCoy, 
 summoning all his energies, made a 
 desperate exertion, cross-buttocked him 
 in fine style, and tossed him fairly on 
 his head. (" Beautiful !'' Great cheer- 
 mg for McCoy. " S 100 on McCoy !") 
 
 55. Beautiful fighting again. McCoy 
 freshening, though his countenance was 
 horribly disfigured, and the blood still 
 flowing quite free. Splendid hits for 
 both — clinch — fierce struggle— Lilly 
 thrown. 
 
 56. Counter — close — McCoy thrown, 
 but turned Lilly outside the ropes. 
 
 57. A head hit for Lilly— McCoy 
 returned, fell short, and dropped. 
 
 58. Wary figuring at the scratch— as 
 McCoy was measuring for a fly. Lilly 
 dropped his head, dodged under his arm, 
 and clasping him about the waist, chop- 
 ped him severely in the loins. McCoy 
 writhed, however, from his disadvan- 
 tage, and threvv Lilly, who turned him 
 as usual on their way to the ground, and 
 fell on him. 
 
 59. McCoy's eyes in funeral black, 
 and his mouth and throat full of blood, 
 part of which he spat on Lilly's breast. 
 Three successive equal counter hits ; 
 McCoy hit out again, but falling short, 
 dropped. 
 
 60. Lilly stopped a well meant head 
 blow, and in answer chopped McCoy 
 downwards on his left cheek. Counter 
 hits- -close, and McCoy thrown badly. 
 
 61. Good body hit for McCoy— Lilly 
 closed, caught McCoy by the legs, and 
 threw him badly. 
 
 62. McCoy too ready, and wasting 
 his strength by inefiectual efforts, while 
 Lilly cautiously saved himself, McCoy 
 stopped two dangerous off"ers beautifully. 
 
84 
 
 LILLY AND M' COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 and made another powerful lunge, but 
 wide astray again. Lilly remained 
 very cool, got in another stinging death 
 blow on the neck, and followed it by 
 three more in the face— a rush by Mc- 
 Coy, in which he was thrown. 
 
 63. McCoy's seconds at last directed 
 him not to fight so much. While he 
 was sparring awa7j, Lilly chopped him 
 on the head by a downright biow-~Mc- 
 Coy countered well on Lilly's mouth, 
 and after receiving two more of the 
 fatal neck blows, rushed in, and was 
 badly thrown, the blood streaming from 
 his mouth. 
 
 64. McCoy came up saturated to his 
 very shoes wdth the cold water with 
 w-hich he was deluged every round, 
 while Lilly was kept nearly dry. Lilly, 
 chopped him on the eye again, nearly 
 closing it up — a close, and McCoy badly 
 thrown, the blood gushing from his 
 mouth again. 
 
 65. Both reeking with sweat. McCoy 
 working too free again, and wasting 
 powder in his heavy, useless lungs. Hit 
 for Lilly on the right cheek, returned 
 with interest by McCoy in a body blow, 
 which carried Lilly down, clean. 
 
 66. After some figuring, Lilly got be- 
 hind McCoy, clasped him round the 
 waist, and lettino^ him go, hit him as he 
 fell. McCoy dow^n. 
 
 67. Lilly caught him a dreadful blow 
 on the cheek, which McCoy wdldly re- 
 turned, and was thrown, with Lilly on 
 him. 
 
 68. Lilly scarcely hurt ; McCoy fail- 
 ing fast. Counter hits, McCoy thrown 
 as before. 
 
 69. Cries of " shutters up ? There's a 
 death in the family !" &c. Two or three 
 ineffectual lunges were made by McCoy, 
 which only served to strain and weaken 
 him ; rush by Lilly, close, and Lilly 
 thrown head first. 
 
 70. McCoy was now indeed a most 
 unseemly object ; both his eyes were 
 black, the left one nearly closed, and in- 
 deed that whole cheek presented a 
 shocking appearance. His very fore- 
 head was black and blue ; his lips w^ere 
 swollen to an incredible size, and the 
 blood streamed profusely down his 
 chest. My heart sickened at the sorry 
 sight. Wheu he came up he appeared 
 
 very weak, and almost gasping for 
 breath, and endeavored while squaring 
 away, to eject the clotting fluid from his 
 throat. Several, who, like myself, 
 compassionated the poor fellow's condi- 
 tion, cried, " Oh, take him away ! Take 
 him away !" After getting a severe hit 
 on the mouth, he rushed bravely in, 
 closed, was thrown, but turned his op- 
 ponent on the ground. 
 
 71, Rally, close; McCoy thrown, and 
 Lilly down on him, heavy. 
 
 72.. Heavy counter, three more sharp, 
 deathly, neck blows for Lilly, a clinch, 
 and McCoy thrown heavily, gasping 
 under Lilly's weight. 
 
 73. McCoy's left daylight almost 
 closed. Both cautious and fatigued. 
 Hit and hit equal, clinch —McCoy 
 caught Lilly's hair, and after working 
 it backwards and forwards twice or 
 thrice, bent him by main strength to the 
 earth. 
 
 74. McCoy lunging in the air again— 
 Lilly carefully saving hirr.self— McCay 
 rushed in, their hands became locked, 
 and both fell side by side, Lilly exclaina- 
 
 ing, with a laugh, as he rose, " By 
 
 he's as weak as a rat." 
 
 75. Counter, in favor of McCoy— 
 close, fibbing by both, and McCoy badly 
 thrown. 
 
 76. The sun appeared now to have a 
 painful effect on McCoy's nearly closed 
 optics. The eyelids were so swollen 
 and stiff, with extravasated blood, that 
 he was obliged to throw his head back, 
 and expose his neck to his enemy, to 
 enable him to look through the slight 
 crevice left ; and this too in the seventy- 
 sixth round. It was now perfectly ap- 
 parent to every one present that poor 
 McCoy had not the slightest chance to 
 worst his cunning and active adversary. 
 Blow after blow came raining in upon 
 him, drawing blood, or threatening death 
 at every stroke, and when he would 
 seek to return, his antagonist would step 
 lightly away, and his blow, wasted upon 
 the trenchant air, had no other effect 
 but that of wasting his strength. Mc- 
 Coy commenced again striking at ran- 
 dom, received two stinging blows on the 
 lip as admonishers— a close and was 
 heavily thrown, Lilly on him, 
 
 77. Tom freshening wonderfully, got 
 
LILLY AND M' COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 85 
 
 in a good hit — counter— another good 
 hit for Torn, and Lilly down on his 
 knees. 
 
 78. Lilly showi-ng great fatigue — Mc- 
 Coy went right to work, rallied, hit all 
 over, clinched and threw Lilly heavily 
 —cheers. " SlOO even on McCoy." 
 
 79. McCoy acting well, got in a terri- 
 fic body blow, and a blow on the cheek 
 — a clinch and Lilly thrown. 
 
 80 Two heavy body hits for McCoy, 
 rally by Lilly, counter, clinch at the 
 ropes, and McCoy thrown heavily. 
 
 81. Lilly bettering, went right to work, 
 put it into McCoy right and left, closed, 
 and threw him heavily, falling on him. 
 
 83. McCoy came up unsteady, clinch, 
 and McCoy thrown ^n the old way. 
 
 83. Counter, close, McCoy wooled 
 Lilly, but was heavily thrown. 
 
 84. JMcCoy quite groggy, but still 
 preserving the dignity of unflinching 
 resolution in his gait. Lilly got in three 
 severe hits, which McCoy returned open 
 handed, a fatal sign-- clinch, and Mc- 
 Coy again badly thrown, Lilly falling 
 on him. 
 
 85. As McCoy came up and made a 
 pass, Lilly threw it aside, exclaiming, 
 '*' la !" then after making two splendid 
 hits, rushed in and threw him heavily. 
 On Lilly going to his corner, Sullivan 
 kissed him, in admiration of his prow- 
 ess. 
 
 86. McCoy bleeding and sweating 
 profusely. Clinch— McCoy while twist- 
 ing him to the earth by main strength, 
 got him locked, then suddenly let go, 
 giving him the upper cut as he sank, 
 and raising a " mouse" on his left cheek 
 with the blow. 
 
 87. Trifling counters, McCoy then 
 struck out, overreached and weakly 
 fell. 
 
 88. Though McCoy was now well 
 nigh blinded, he came up well, led off 
 and got in a pretty good body hit. Lilly 
 answered sharp, clinched and threw 
 him heavily and fell upon him, the 
 blood gushing from McCoy's mouth, as 
 he lay. Loud cries of " Shame, shame ! 
 It's a shame to see such a game man 
 beat to death !" The fight had now 
 lasted two hours. 
 
 89. On bringing McCoy up, Ford and 
 Sullivan cried out, " Oh take that man 
 away. What's the use of beating him 
 
 to death 1 He can't win." Don't fret 
 yourselves," replied Shanfroid, " he's 
 got three hours fight in him yet. He's 
 only beginning to work." " Finish 
 him, then, Cris," returned Sullivan. 
 Lilly let fly at the word, catching Mc- 
 Coy on the mouth, sending the blood in 
 a fine spray in the sun-— a rush by Mc- 
 Coy and Lilly thrown. 
 
 90. Lilly made two severe hits, close, 
 M cCoy pressed to the ropes and severely 
 chopped. 
 
 91. McCoy very groggy, rushed in 
 wild, striking open handed— Lilly gave 
 him two sharp cuts in the face, closed, 
 and threw him dreadfully. Cries of 
 " Take him away ! Don't let him fight 
 any more !'' 
 
 92. Blood spouting from McCoy's 
 nose; but he, ^till, nothing daunted— 
 clinch and both down. 
 
 93. Rally, close — Lilly chopped him 
 severely in the loins, then threw him 
 heavily and fell on him. As he was 
 lifted up, Lilly looked down at him and 
 
 exclaimed, " Be he's game "?" " 2 
 
 to 1 on Lilly." 
 
 94. As McCoy made a pass, Lilly 
 dodged under his arm, caught him round 
 the waist and chopped him badly on the 
 back. While at it, McCoy dropped 
 hopelessly in his arms, Lilly shoving 
 him down and walking away. Cries of 
 " it's a d — d shame to see a brave man 
 used so !" " For God's sake take him 
 away !" 
 
 95. McCoy came up unsteady, but 
 stern and erect. Counter, close, both 
 locked on the ropes— violent struggle, 
 which ended in McCoy's receiving 
 dreadful punishment, and a terrific fall 
 with Lilly on him. 
 
 96. After a pass, Cris rushed in and 
 threw McCoy in the old way. 
 
 97. McCoy staggering and gasping 
 for breath ; Lilly hit him full in the 
 mouth, when he turned around crazily 
 and fell. 
 
 98. Sharp hit for Lilly ; McCoy drop- 
 ped weakly from a repeater. 
 
 99. McCoy ready, though very weak 
 — a clinch and Lilly thrown. 
 
 100. McCoy came up well, counter, 
 clinch, and they caught each other's 
 hands. While in this position they 
 turned, looked at each other, and ex- 
 
LILLY AND M'COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 changed a word ; then McCoy changed 
 his hold, and threw him by main 
 strength, nearly on his head. Two 
 hours and 16 minutes. 
 
 101. Lilly caught McCoy's head un- 
 der his arm, jobbed him severely, and 
 fell heavily upon him. 
 
 102. Close, sharp fibbing by both, 
 struggle and both down ; Lilly spoke to 
 McCoy in a low tone, as they lay on the 
 ground together. 
 
 103. McCoy suffering very much, 
 scarcely able to breathe, and spitting 
 from his mouth solid clots and long 
 strings of coagulated blood. He came 
 up bravely (the noble boy !) without the 
 slighest indication of a desire to shrink, 
 got in a good body blow, but in the close 
 was badly thrown. 
 
 104. McCoy got up himself at the cry 
 of " time,'' astonishing every one by his 
 wonderful endurance. Both his eyes 
 were almost closed, and resembled pur- 
 ple cushions with a black cord drawn 
 tightly through the middle, to represent 
 the crevice through which he saw. He 
 might be said to grope his way to the 
 scratch. Lilly got in two light head 
 blows, but in the clinch was thrown by 
 a pure exertion of strength on the part 
 of McCoy. 
 
 105. Smart counter — a close and both 
 down, Lilly under — McCoy still strong. 
 
 106. McCoy rushed in as Lilly was 
 preparing to strike and threw him. 
 
 107. McCov came up slow, sticking 
 his swollen tongue out and opening his 
 mouth to get air, as if laboring under 
 the sense of strangulation — 
 
 " And though his manly heart around, 
 No active currents warmly bound ; 
 Tho' swelled to bursting every vein, 
 No token gave he yet of pain." 
 
 As he stepped slowly up, Lilly cried 
 out to him to come over to his side, 
 upon which, Ford seeing his condition, 
 exclaimed "Cris, now you've got him, 
 sure !" " Not so sure as you imagine," 
 immediately said the noble fellow, but 
 in a voice so changed, so husky from 
 its passage through the red current that 
 was hemming out his life, that our very 
 flesh crept as we heard it. His enemy 
 could do as he pleased ; he hit him 
 with impunity ; then rushed in and fell 
 heavily upon hira. He was "valiant 
 no longer." The " puniest whisper" 
 
 might have "bearded" him without 
 dread of harm. 
 
 108. The same — and McCoy thrown 
 as before. Cries of "Take him out !" 
 
 109. Lilly put in three more short 
 head blows, and threw him again with 
 the same result. Time 2i hours. 
 
 110. Cris rushed in — McCoy caught 
 him by the hair and endeavored to fib 
 him — failed, a,nd was thrown hard. 
 
 111. McCoy very groggy, but still 
 striking out strong. At the mark, while 
 squaring he exclaimed, "1 feel like a 
 book!" As if unconscious where he 
 was, however, he suddenly dropped his 
 arms, and on the instant received a 
 planter on the mouth and was severely 
 thrown. • 
 
 112. McCoy staggering in, but erect 
 and dignified in his manner. Lilly pla.nt- 
 ed another in the old placej start- 
 ing the blood afresh — close, and McCoy 
 down again, bad as ever. Ford here de- 
 manded that the brave fellow should 
 be taken out, amid numerous cries of 
 "Shame," and remarked that "Their 
 doctor would be hung if they didn't." 
 The latter branch of this remark was 
 applied to a wretch who., from the fact 
 of representing himself as physician^ 
 had been employed by the seconds of 
 McCoy, for the express purpose of 
 watching over the man's life, and of sav- 
 ing him, when his powers had been 
 stretched to their extent of endurance. 
 To him I chiefly lay the blame of Thos. 
 McCoy's death, and as I presume there 
 is a very general desire to bring him to 
 justice, I will describe h^m at length. 
 He is a tall, meagre, rickety, slabs-ided 
 personage, with a shock of stiff, dirty 
 hair, of a dusting brush grey, and a 
 head so laterally compressed, as to pre- 
 sent but the edge of a shingle for a face. 
 His nose takes a start from a pair of in- 
 expressive milky eyes, that could no 
 more enliven his countenance, than 
 could two brass nails irradiate a sweep s, 
 and taking a bold curvilinear compass, 
 juts out to an equal distance with a 
 large knot or apple in his dirty scraggy 
 neck. His shoulders are of an unequal 
 height; the hollow which should adorn 
 his back, is represented by a huge cavi- 
 ty in his belly, and he is altogether so 
 pitiful a fellov/, that I would blush at 
 
LILLY AND M'COY'S FIGHT. 
 
 87 
 
 my awkwardness if unable to cut a bet- 
 ter "from a cheese paring after dinner." 
 
 113. Sharp body blow for Lilly — he 
 then rushed in and endeavored to throw 
 his opponent, but fell with the effort. 
 
 114. McCoy attended by his second 
 up to the scratch. On being left to him- 
 self, he received two bad ones in the old 
 places, and both fell. 
 
 115. McCoy completely in the dark. 
 He made three good attempts to get in, 
 and in the last fell with the effort. 
 
 116. McCoy led up again— caught a 
 severe blow in the mouth, rushed in 
 and was very badly thrown, having 
 pitched head foremost at the ground 
 and scraped his face along it for twelve 
 or eighteen inches, before the impetus 
 of his motion stopped. 
 
 117. Poor Tom failing fast— Lilly hit 
 him a severe blow in the old place. McCoy 
 obeying his instinct, rushed in, and by 
 an exertion of latent strength, that as- 
 tonished all, threw Lilly and fell upon 
 him. Good, for a dying man ! As he 
 lay there, he patted his antagonist on 
 his head, and smiled over him, as if this 
 trifling fortune were amends. On being 
 carried to his corner, he said to his se- 
 conds, "Nurse me — nurse me and. I'll 
 whip him yet." 
 
 118. McCoy rushed wildly in, receiv- 
 ed a hit and a fall with Lilly on him 
 that fairly shook the ground. Cries of 
 " Shame ! shame !" " For God's sake, 
 save his life !" I did not hear that the 
 Doctor interfered. 
 
 119. McCoy still indomitably game, 
 came up perfectly blind, and took his 
 position as erect as ever, and put out his 
 arms mechanically. Shanfroid in re- 
 ply to a rebuke for allowing such a man 
 to fight longer, said " he ain't half lick- 
 ed yet !" Lilly rushed in and threw 
 him, badly, falling on him as always 
 before. 
 
 120. McCoy was lifted up heavily 
 from his second's knee, and stood on his 
 feet for the last time. He was led 
 slowly to the mark, and took his posi- 
 tion—a dying man — but as erect, as 
 dignified, as game as ever. Lilly was 
 also much fatigued, and enduring con- 
 siderable suffering from the heavy body 
 blows he had received. They both 
 Bparred cautiously ; McCoy leading oflf. 
 
 as ever, and making two or three good 
 efforts to get in without success. Lilly 
 then rushed in, closed and threw him 
 very hard, fell with his whole weight 
 upon him, and remained upon the dying 
 man until lifted off. On approaching 
 him (McCoy) he was found to be per- 
 fectly inanimate, and sank lifeless in 
 his second's arms. Time was called, 
 but not, alas ! for him. Poor fellow, 
 he was doomed never to hear sound 
 again, till the challenge of the last 
 trumpet shall pierce the portals of his 
 ears, and summon him, with those who 
 did foul murder on him, to a mark from- 
 which there can be no dodging — no es- 
 cape. 
 
 He had fought for two hovrs and forty 
 three minutes, receiving eighty-one heavy 
 falls, with his antagonist on him, and 
 bleeding, certainly, for two and a half 
 hours. He fought with good heart, but 
 not well ; showing by his open motions 
 everything that he was about to do, and 
 fighting too much. He had also suffer- 
 ed, no doubt, frorfl over training, having 
 previous to the match been in very ill 
 health. 
 
 As soon as he had been declared the 
 victor, Lilly jumped up, slapped his 
 hands with an exclamation of joy, and 
 then amid the cheers of his circle, sprang 
 over the ropes of the ring. He was but 
 little marked, and not severely hurt. 
 Poor McCoy, on being lifted from the 
 ground, sank as limp as a rag in his se- 
 cond's arms. A cry was made for the 
 Doctor, and a movement in the mass 
 took place to give him air. I forced my 
 way in the crowd and took a look at 
 the dying man. God grant that I may 
 never see such another sight! He lay 
 upon his back, his face and neck one 
 bruised, unseemly, bloated mass of in- 
 cipient corruption ; gasping for breath, 
 and sucking by the violence of his ras- 
 piration, his bloated lips far back in his 
 mouth. In the next moment he ceased 
 to breathe, and word went in a hoarse 
 whisper that he was dead ! Never shall 
 I forget the talismanic horror of thai 
 expression. The cheeks of old and 
 young, the fledging villian, and the ruf- 
 lin stepped in crime, all blanched to 
 ashes, and exchanging a look of vague 
 and undefined fear, separated silently^ 
 
88 
 
 KENSETT AND HAMMOND'S FIGHT. 
 
 and sought their respective boats. Not 
 a loud sound or rough expression was 
 heard by the vast assemblage that col- 
 lected at the landing. Solemnly each 
 man embarded, and silently cast off 
 and bore away. I went in the dead 
 
 man's boat, and sailed back with himj 
 lying, stark, currupt and dead, in the 
 same cabin, where he in the morning 
 lay full of life, health, hope, strength, 
 and manhood. I leave the moral with 
 the reader. 
 
 REPORT OF THE BATTLE 
 
 GEORGE KENSETT AND NED HAMMOND, 
 
 For $500 a Side— December 7, 1826. 
 
 At the solicitation of a large number 
 of our readers we below give a report 
 of the fight between George Kensett and 
 Ned Hammond which took place on the 
 7th of December, 1826. We are in- 
 debted to a friend, who kindly loaned 
 us a little pamphlet containing an ac- 
 count of the battle. It appears to be a 
 report gotten up by a friend of one of 
 the parties. However,we give word for 
 word, that our readers may see how 
 such things were done in former days : 
 
 In giving the history of a contest or 
 combat between two men, I am aware 
 of the risk I run of offending the feel- 
 ings of many a c-anting, whining swin- 
 dler and fastidious hypocrite, who will 
 shake the head of disapprobation at the 
 name of a fight, and fleece you at the 
 same instant. I know I shall commit 
 great violence upon these shadows of 
 morality, who so much infest the world, 
 who have the impudence to hold them- 
 selves up as our judges and superiors, 
 entitling themselves to great respect — 
 constantly assuming a solemn gravity 
 before the world, to cover their own 
 ignorance or crafty designs ; who con- 
 demn in others, what they practice 
 without scruple. To such, the follow- 
 ing remarks are )iot directed ; my whole 
 object is, to disclose plain facts, undis- 
 guised, and being unconnected or in- 
 fluenced by either of the combatants — 1 
 shall endeavor to give a candid and dis- 
 interested description of the whole af- 
 
 fair. I am compelled to make one 
 sweeping observation, viz : That many 
 persons upon this occasion violated every 
 principle of justice and moderation — the 
 result of the contest, or rather the 
 scandalous and unsatisfactory decision 
 given by careless or interested umpires, 
 will remain a stain upon the character 
 of those who meanly or tamely acquies- 
 ced in so gross and palpable an imposi- 
 tion. In this strange farce we find 
 Patrick Burns, an umpire, triumphantly 
 giving the victory to his countryman, 
 when he was unable to rise from his 
 second's knee, or approach the scratch, 
 while Kensett was perfectly fresh and 
 unhurt ; these proceedings were all a per- 
 fect burlesque — then to witness Fuller, 
 giving up Sutton's stakes of SlOO, in 
 such a hurry ; he must have been stul- 
 tified. It looks like a compound system 
 of juggling throughout, as the descrip- 
 tion of the fight will more clearly point 
 out. In order to enlist the feelings of 
 the ignorant in the favor of Hammond, 
 this party fabricated and gave circula- 
 tion to a falsehood, which hundreds can 
 contradict ; they pretended that Kensett 
 forced Hammond into this contest, 
 when it is well known that Hammond 
 challenged Kensett twice publicly, and 
 even had the daring at the same time to 
 include any man in America, within a 
 few pounds of his own weight. There 
 is now no fear of a recurrence of such 
 empty blustering, as Hammond is well 
 convinced by the helpless situation to 
 which he was reduced, in the late fight, 
 ■ that he has no chance with such a cus- 
 
KENSETT AND HAMMOND'S FIGHT. 
 
 8a 
 
 tomer, except "by foul play, or the same 
 precious umpires. I speak in strict jus- 
 tice to Hammond, that he entered the 
 ring with as much confidence as Ken- 
 sett, but soon discovered his inferiority 
 in the sharp conflict; he often had re- 
 course to a deliberate method of falling 
 on Kensett's body, with his hip ; which 
 although observed by the umpires, and 
 known to be unfair, yet it was passed 
 by unnoticed ; after these few introduc- 
 tory remarks,! shall proceed to describe 
 the particulars. 
 
 A match was made between Kensett 
 and Hammond, to have a fair stand-up 
 fight for five hundred dollars aside, and 
 the 7lh day of December was fixed upon 
 for the struggle, within fifty miles of 
 the city of New York, in a twenty -four 
 foot ring ; half minute time — one thou- 
 sand dollars were entrusted with Mr 
 Sweeney, to place in the hands of P. G. 
 Hart, as the stakeholder ; a short time 
 previous to the day of meeting, there 
 was a verbal agreement between the 
 contending parties, to carry the specta- 
 tors to the scene of action, at the same 
 price ; but the object of the Hammond- 
 ites was to fill their vessel with friends, 
 at any rate, nor were they particular 
 about their customers, so long as they 
 were partizans ; and were acquainted 
 with the countersign, or signal. It's 
 true, some persons of respectability 
 found their way on board, by mistake, 
 nor did they discover their error until 
 they found themselves surrounded by 
 the rabble ; on reaching the place of 
 destination, and the umpires were about 
 to be appointed. Englishmen were ob- 
 jected to, but they fully approved of 
 Patrick Burns, who had bets pending in 
 favor of Hammond, and which accord- 
 ing to the laws of fighting amounts to a 
 disqualification, and his acceptance of 
 the office, under these glaring circum- 
 stances, and what followed, will natu- 
 rally suggest in the minds of fair men 
 something highly unfavorable, and 
 which cannot easily be removed. A 
 gentleman, although a novice, was 
 chosen to act with Burns, under the 
 superintendence of Fuller, who promis- 
 ed his advice and instruction ; he de- 
 clined being a principal, in consequence 
 of being attacked for being a pugilist, 
 
 but all that we know upon this head is, 
 that he suffered a critical question to be 
 decided in ignorance, in direct opposi- 
 tion to his own judgment, upon which 
 thousands of dollars, and other very 
 material and important points depended. 
 This mysterious business will require 
 more explanation than has yet been 
 given. The referee was smuggled away 
 by artifice, of which fact Kensett and 
 his friends w^ere totally ignorant. Va- 
 rious attempts were made to create con- 
 fusion in favor of Hammond, and the 
 ring was broken in for this purpose; 
 even Mr». Fuller expressed his astonish- 
 ment and indignation at such an out- 
 rage, and publicly declared that every- 
 thing on the part of Kensett was fair 
 and honorable ; and in a few minutes 
 after, to the amazement of every gentle- 
 man on the ground, unjustly gave up 
 the one hundred dollars of Sutton's 
 money, without any hesitation, and 
 while under a full conviction himself, 
 at the moment tha^ the umpires decided 
 in error. The public wish to learn from 
 Mr. Fuller, what motive influenced him 
 on this occasion ; whether it was a pu- 
 sillanimous fear, or did he court the fa- 
 vor and patronage of the Irish. I pro- 
 ceed to Peter G. Hart, the stakeholder, 
 who w^as notified not to give up Ken- 
 sett's money ; but he justifies himself 
 in so doing, by stating that he gave it 
 back to the person of whom he received 
 it, without waiting for, or receiving any 
 instruction from the umpires ; and 
 Sweeney without any hesitation gave 
 the same up to Hammond, although 
 otherwise instructed. Sweeney gave 
 his word of honor to hold back the 
 stakes until the dispute was decided. 
 
 THE BATTLE. 
 
 First round. Both men w^hen stripped 
 looked in the best possible condition, 
 each second betted on his man, and be- 
 ing brought to the scratch and giving 
 the usual shake of the hand, both re- 
 treated a little and the fight commenced. 
 Hammond struck right and left, which 
 took no effect ; Kensett very cool and 
 mischievous in his hitting. Hammond 
 got the fall. 
 
 3. In this round Hammond gave 
 Kensett a good blow on the side, which 
 
90 
 
 KENSETT AND HAMMOND'S FIGHT. 
 
 caused Kensett to throw several good 
 hits away ; Hammond fighting with 
 courage and resolution. Kensett made 
 some fine counter hits — stops, and re- 
 turned with the rapidity of lightning, 
 leaving visible marks of a finished 
 workman — in a close Kensett weav^ing 
 in great style — both fell on their sides— - 
 Hammond rolled over upon Kensett. 
 
 3. Both men blowing a little — Ken- 
 sett took the lead, Hammond fighting 
 bravely — though he was bleeding very 
 profusely— a slight tincture of claret 
 from the bottom of Kensett's left ear — 
 Kensett save Hammond a flush hit 
 
 m 
 
 ing up his hat as the signal for victory. 
 The seconds quickly expelled* this fel- 
 low. 
 
 7. With great difiiculty Hammond 
 was raised from his bottle-holder's knee, 
 and while the second was fruitlessly at- 
 tempting to bring him to the scratch — 
 Sandford, the bottle-holder of Hammond 
 —run eagerly to Burns, the umpire on 
 the other side — saying, dont you think 
 Kensett fell without a blow in the last 
 round ? At this hint — Burns instantly 
 jumps up and exclaims— By Jasus he 
 did ! — then putting up both his arms — 
 which evidently appears to have been a 
 
 the face as he was rushing in, which previously concerted signal for breaking 
 
 sent him a great distance, and dropped 
 him as if shot from a rifle — the blow 
 was heard all round the ring— this evi- 
 dently secured the fight to Kensett — 
 who nodded his head at him and smiled, 
 implying that Hammond must be a good 
 man if he could win the fight after that. 
 
 4. Hammond appeared very much 
 distressed — piping. Kensett had reco- 
 covered his first wind — Kensett con- 
 tinued to give two blows to his one, all 
 telling upon poor Hammond's day lights 
 — in a close, Kensett again heavily 
 weaving, both down, Hammond upper- 
 most. 
 
 5. Hammond appeared at the scratch 
 very groggy — in this round Hammond 
 
 into the ring ; — you therefore perceive, 
 that at the time they were perfectly con- 
 vinced that their man was completely 
 beaten they then had recourse to strata- 
 gem. When they discovered Hammond 
 was beat, the whole motley group forced 
 themselves into and about the ring, with 
 the greatest violence — they setup a yell 
 equal to the most savage tribe of Indi- 
 ans—bearing Hammond away from the 
 ground, calling him victor, and this out- 
 rageous turbulence was continued into 
 the very streets of New York. 
 
 They created a wrangle respecting 
 Kensett's falling, after finishing a long 
 rally, although Hammond fell flat at the 
 same time — which removed all quibbles 
 
 took a great deal, and gave but little, it about its being foul. A fair stand-up 
 
 was all Wall street to a bushel of mur- 
 phies in favor of Kensett — in closing 
 both fell upon their sides. 
 
 6. Kensett looked fresh, cool and 
 steady — the fire of Hammond's courage 
 was gone — his head in Chancery — his 
 window shutters were up — his face and 
 body drenched in claret, he was a most 
 piteous object — Kensett gave him five 
 
 fight signifies that a man is not to strike 
 and then drop wilfully — but where two 
 men close, then either may get out of 
 the clutches of the other in the best way 
 he finds a chance ; but is not compelled 
 to allow the other to fall upon him when 
 he can in any way avoid it ; under such 
 circumstances, and every rule oi fight- 
 ing (in the London ring) the man who 
 
 blows without one being returned — keeps his post longest wins the battle ; 
 
 Hammond tried to grip him — Kensett 
 fell from between his arms exhausted 
 from the force of his own hitting — and 
 Hammond fell upon him. At this point 
 of the battle a bull jumped into the 
 ring, vociferating that Hammond had 
 won the fight— -at the same time throw- 
 
 of course leaving the ring before the 
 dispute is settled — loses it. 
 
 Kensett off'ered to put up $1,000 
 against the $1,000 stake money which 
 had been fought for, and fight Hammond 
 at any time he chose, but to this the 
 opposite party would not agree. 
 
REPORT OF THE LATE FIGHT 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Alfred Walker and Joe Hoiles, the Spider, 
 
 rOR ONE HUNDRED POUNDS A SIDE AND THE FEATHER WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. 
 
 From BelVs Life in London, April 16. 
 
 In our last we acquainted our readers 
 with the preliminary arrangements that 
 had been made for this Championship 
 battle in miniature, and we now, in ac- 
 cordance with a promise made in the 
 same paper, proceed to lay before the 
 public the details of the affair subse- 
 quent to the publication of our journal, 
 premising that the mill excited quite as 
 much interest among the cognoscenti as 
 the battle for the Championship between 
 the rival Harrie's (Broome and Orme) 
 which took place about the same time 
 last year. 
 
 It will be remembered that the fixture 
 for the sealing was the Duke of Argyll, 
 Laystall street, Liquorpond-stseet, the 
 hostelrie of Alfred Walker, and thither, 
 between the hours of twelve and two 
 o'clock, on Monday, a very numerous 
 assemblage of the lovers of pugilism 
 directed their steps, and we should say 
 that, after the mill, when Master Alfred 
 returned to the bosom of his family, 
 from which he had been so long es- 
 tranged, his buxom better half was en- 
 abled to render him such an account of 
 the receipts over the bar, as would in- 
 duce him to exclaim, with the High- 
 landers of old, " God bless the Duke of 
 Argyll." The Spider, our readers are 
 aware, was confined to 7st. lllb., and 
 on that amount of dead weight being 
 deposited in the scale, he took his seat 
 on the machine, but the beam did not 
 move — thus proving that he was far be- 
 low the stipulated amount ; in fact, we 
 are informed by his trainer that he did 
 not in reality exceed 7st. 4Hb. He 
 looked well and confident, and ofiers 
 were made to back him at 6 to 4. Wal- 
 ker, who was confined to 8st. 41b., was 
 also well within the prescribed llGlb., 
 
 as he did not weigh above 7st. 121b. 
 He, like his Arachnidsean adversary, 
 was confidence itself ; he looked pale, 
 but was evidently in excellent health. 
 He was not blessed with a very large 
 supply of the rowdy, and, consequently, 
 was unable to make any considerable 
 outlay on the result of the battle. In 
 the course of the evening, both the ban- 
 tams showed at Johnny Walker's bene- 
 fit, at Saville House, and were loudly 
 cheered. An early adjournment to roost 
 took place, and on the eventful morning 
 they were astir betimes. 
 
 Long before eight o'clock the bustle 
 in the neighborhood of Shoreditch beto- 
 kened the excitement that was abroad 
 respecting the affair ; and as that hour 
 drew near, the rush of cabs, Hansom 
 and otherwise, filled with well-known 
 ring-goers, proved that the attendance 
 would be both numerous and respecta- 
 ble. This, however, we had fully an- 
 ticipated ; we knew that the Rising Sun, 
 in Air street, had been crowded the 
 previous evening with the tip-top pa- 
 trons of milling, and that a large and 
 select party of Corinthians had congre- 
 gated at another celebrated house of re- 
 sort for " millers" in a more westerly 
 and aristocratic part of the town, where, 
 after a gorgeous spread, they had dis- 
 cussed the battles of ancient times, and 
 had speculated to a considerable amount 
 upon the combat now under notice, 
 many bets being laid about the " double 
 event," 5 to 1 being freely offered and 
 taken about the two Walkers winning 
 their battles. The waiters at this cele- 
 brated crib were compelled to be early 
 astir, as the intended travelers, who had 
 not been present at a mill since the ad- 
 vent of Mr. Pinxtone, as caterer-gener- 
 al, were not aware of the change for the 
 
92 
 
 ALF. WALKER AND THE SPIDER'S FIGHT. 
 
 better which had taken place in the 
 grubbery department, and, therefore, 
 warned by experience, they determined 
 to lay in such a supply of belly timber 
 as would, if necessary, last them until 
 their return to the metropolis. And 
 now, " to return to our muttons." The 
 cabs, as we were observing, poured into 
 the yard at Shoreditch station in quick 
 succession, and many were the familiar 
 faces that we recognised, which are 
 seldom met with at a mill unless it be 
 one of paramount interest By the time 
 for starting there could not have been 
 less than 100 Corinthians of the highest 
 order, and a proportionate number of 
 other ring-goers of humbler order being 
 added, the crowd upon the platform was 
 something considerable. The only ab- 
 sentee of any great note was his reve- 
 rence of Bond street, but that worthy 
 has of late so neglected his flock that 
 his non-attendance at a mill is looked 
 upon rather as a matter of course. A 
 special train had been chartered for the 
 occasion by Alec Keene and Johnny 
 Walker, and, judging from appearances, 
 they must have reaped an abundant 
 harvest". A saloon carriage was attach- 
 ed for the use of the Patricians, but, as 
 this would only hold 25 or 30, many, of 
 course, were compelled to resort to the 
 ordinary first-class carriages. In the 
 saloon, however, were to be found most 
 of the regular frequenters of the P. R., 
 and among them a good deal of money 
 was speculated on the way down. Bets 
 were laid on double and treble events. 
 In some instances money was laid out 
 on the Spider — his name being coupled 
 with King Tom for the Derby — in other 
 cases Autocrat and the Spider was 
 backed. When the event of the day 
 only was touched upon, the prices va- 
 ried considerably, throughout the morn- 
 ing. The first bet we heard laid was 
 18 to 12 on Spider, afterwards we heard 
 14 to 8, 20 to 10, &c. The train, which 
 did not leave Shoreditch until half-past 
 eight, proceeded but slowly to Chester- 
 ford, where an old patron of the sport 
 was taken up, and final orders were giv- 
 en to the engineer, who then mended 
 his pace, but the tocns in quo was not 
 reached until near twelve o'clock. Here 
 a kind friend and patron was in waiting 
 
 to act as pilot, and a move was quickly 
 made to the scene of action. We regret 
 to state that, during the process of de- 
 barkation, some of those gentry, who 
 have no respect for the laws of mfiim 
 and tuiim, and who we were in hopes 
 had long ago determined to "drop the 
 shop," when out on a pleasure excur- 
 sion, so far forgot themselves as to bor- 
 row a ticker, the property of a; gentle- 
 man, who kindly granted the use of his 
 lands for the mill. So poor a return for 
 his hospitality could not, of course, be 
 allowed ; and, through the exertions of 
 Alec Keene the watch was returned, on 
 payment of a couple of sovereigns out 
 of the funds of the Pugilistic Associa> 
 tion. For the information of the con- 
 veyancers in question, we may just hint 
 that no such re^^^ard will, in future, be 
 paid them, and it will therefore be as 
 well if they confine their practice to the 
 metropolis, otherwise it will be found 
 necessary to adopt some means to pre- 
 vent their attendance at a sport which 
 we believe to be as much a favorite with 
 them as with other ring-goers. '' A nod 
 is as good as a wink to a blind horse," 
 and we trust that our nimble-fingered 
 friends Will take our hint in the kindly 
 spirit in which it is meant. 
 
 As soon as an eligible piece of ground 
 had been selected, Tom Oliver, assisted 
 by Tom Callas and others, set to work 
 with alacrity, and fixed the ropes and 
 stakes on an excellent piece of turf. 
 The inner and outer rings were arranged, 
 and the sale of tickets for the former 
 was carried on with great rapidity, and 
 by the com.mencement of the fight no 
 less than jG24 17s. 6d. had been real- 
 ised. Massey, who made his first ap- 
 pearance in the character of Inspector 
 of Ring Police, rallied his forces round 
 him, and cleared the arena for action in 
 a way that did him infinite credit, and 
 we may as well state at once that the 
 ring was preserved from first to last most 
 admirably. The Spider was the first to 
 appear at the ring side, and it was some 
 twenty minutes before he was followed 
 by his opponent. Meantime, the little, 
 fellow busied himself by disposing of 
 his colors, in which, we believe, he 
 was eminently successful. He was at- 
 tended by that prince of seconds Jack 
 
ALF. WALKER AND THE SPIDER'S FIGHT. 
 
 93 
 
 Macdonald, and Billy Hayes, who had 
 come specially from his training quar- 
 ters for the purpose, and who looked as 
 fresh as paint. By one o'clock Walker, 
 accompanied by his brother Johnny and 
 his seconds, Jerry Noon and George 
 Brown, made his appearance, and the 
 diminutive champions at once stepped 
 within the arena, where they shook 
 hands in a most friendly way, and pro- 
 ceeded at once to arrange the prelimina- 
 ries. The toss for choice of corners 
 was won by Keene on behalf of the 
 Spider, who of course placed his oppo- 
 nent with his face to the sun, and in a 
 corner rather lower than his own. A 
 referee was then chosen, and the Spider 
 having tried in vain to lay out a jGaO 
 note, at 50 to 30, they commenced their 
 toilettes under a blazing sun, Irom 
 which, however, they were partially 
 defended by gigantic umbrellas of the 
 Gamp pattern. While they are in the 
 hands of their valets we will, according 
 to custom, and by the desire of nume- 
 rous re ders, give such facts in connec- 
 tion with their former careers as are in 
 our possession. Alfred Walker, who is 
 about 20 years of age, and stands 5ft. 
 3in., is, as our readers know, the young- 
 est broiher of the r'^nowned Johnny 
 Walker, formerly cliampiou of the light 
 weights, and now again a eandidate for 
 the same office. Previous to his contest 
 on Tuesday he had only twice essayed 
 his powers in the P. R., first with Dar- 
 by, of Walsall, a bigger and heavier 
 man than himself, over whom he ob- 
 tained a victory, after a long and deter- 
 mined contest, in which he had a very 
 uphill game to play. His other battle 
 was with Jack Hicks, and must be fresh 
 in the recollection of our readers ; it 
 took place Nov. 30, 1852, and lasted 2 
 hou-rs and 45 minutes, ending in a draw 
 un account of the darkness. Hicks was 
 very much punished, and almost blind, 
 while the hero of our tale, although his 
 hands were both much injured, was oth- 
 erwise comparatively unharmed, and, 
 had there been a little more daylight, 
 would, barring an accident, have come 
 otf a second time victorious ; as it was, 
 however, the friends of both men, con- 
 sidering that they had done enough for 
 money, would not permii them to meet 
 
 again, and presented to each the sum 
 for which he had contended. Walker 
 now retired into comparative quiet, and 
 devoted himself to his business. There 
 were several nibbles on his part at the 
 Spider, but the latter declined to bite, 
 deeming it unwise to give away the 
 weight required by Walker, w^ho would 
 only consent to confine himself to 8st. 
 41b., below which he doubted whether 
 he could come. At length, however, 
 the Spider, throwing aside all fear of the 
 consequences, some time after his battle 
 with Bowers, issued a challenge to fight 
 any man in the world, and give half a 
 stone, confining himself to 7st. 111b ; 
 and this challenge being taken up by 
 Walker, the present match was made — 
 a match, be it observed, wiiich was 
 looked upon by many as extremely inju- 
 dicious on the part of the Spider, who, 
 it was known, would not be much over 
 7st. 51b., and, therefore, if his adversary 
 was near the stipulated Sst. 41b., would 
 be giving nearly a stone — an advantage 
 for which it was thought all the clever- 
 ness in the world could not compensate. 
 A great " entomologist," however, and 
 staunch admirer of the Spider, consid- 
 ered that if little Joey " fancied " a 
 man, he would be very near licking 
 him, whoever he might be, and pro- 
 mised him his support, and the match, 
 which many imagined would end in a 
 forfeit to Walker, proceeded. Master 
 Alf. was therefore compelled to doff the 
 apron, and betake himself with all speed 
 to the flannels, in which, under the 
 guidance of his able brother, Johnny, 
 he got himself into such good condition 
 on the Newmarket Downs as to justify 
 the remark that he was fit to fight for 
 his life. He is a civil, quiet, well-be- 
 haved young man, and is a general fa- 
 vorite. 
 
 The Spider, who is about 25 years of 
 age, is a sprig from the Borough school, 
 and is far better known in the pugilistic 
 world than his opponent. He commen- 
 ced his career March 28th, 1848, w^ith 
 one Cornwell, for jGIO a side, when he 
 obtained an easy victory in 18 rounds, 
 and 29 minutes. He next fought and 
 heat Jemmy Herbert for £25 a side, in 
 in 100 rounds, occupying two hours and 
 fifteen minutes, Jan. 29!h, 1850. On 
 
94 
 
 ALF. WALKER AND THE SPIDER'S FIGHT. 
 
 Sept. 24th, the same year, he vanquish- 
 ed Jemmy Madden, after an exciting 
 contest, in 56 rounds, and 91 minutes. 
 After tins, on the 14th of January, 1851, 
 he fought a draw with Harry Adams, 
 the battle ending, after two hours dura- 
 tion, in a disputed foul blow. In Sept. 
 1861, he fought and beat Jemmy Train- 
 er, of Liverpool, for jC50 a side, in 49 
 rounds, and 80 minutes ; and, after this, 
 we do not find him engaged in a pugilis- 
 tic encounter until his battle with Bill 
 Bowers of Bilingsgate, on the 19th of 
 April last year, when he gained rather 
 an easy victory in Ih. 24min., during 
 which 25 rounds were fought. The 
 contest might, no doubt, have been pro- 
 longed had Bowers been gifted with a 
 larger share of pluck, but we doubt 
 whether the result could have been al- 
 tered. The circumstances attending the 
 present match have been alluded to in 
 our short summary of the doings of 
 Walker, and therefore require no further 
 comment. The Spider, by his universal 
 good conduct, has endeared himself to 
 all who know him, while his trim, neat, 
 little figure, and his extreme cleverness 
 in the use of his feelers, have procured 
 for him general admiration, and he is 
 always looked upon as the wonder of 
 the feather tribe. He took his final 
 breathing for the contest of Sutton, 
 where he was looked after by Billy 
 Hayes, so that, by a singular coincidence 
 the champion of the feather weights 
 was trained by the champion of the light 
 weights, while the candidate for honors 
 among the feathers was looked after by 
 the candidate for the light weight cham- 
 pionship. And now, having exhausted 
 all we have to say in the shape of in- 
 troductory matter, we will to the de- 
 scription of the mill. All being in rea- 
 diness, at 26 minutes after one, the 
 youths were delivered at the scratch, 
 the usual daddle shaking took place, and 
 business commenced. 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round 1. As soon as the men stood 
 in battle array, all eyes, were of course, 
 directed to their appearance. The Spi- 
 der looked as graceful as ever, his neat- 
 ly turned legs, small feet and ancles, 
 immensely long arms and delicate wrists. 
 
 created much astonishment among those 
 who had never seen him peeled ; but, 
 although there was a delicacy of form, 
 there was also an appearance of that 
 strength to be found in his namesake of 
 the insect tribe. True, he was thin, 
 and light looking, but there was plenty 
 of muscle upon his feelers, and also on 
 his back and shoulders, and his small 
 snakelike head and neck gave him a 
 sharp, wide awake appearance, which, 
 coupled with a smile of easy confidence, 
 increased the confidence of his friends, 
 who were vociferous in their offers to 
 back him 2 to 1 — odds which the friends 
 of Walker were not backward in accept- 
 ing; in which we may say they were jus- 
 tified by the appearance of their cham- 
 pion. Walker stands about half an 
 inch taller than the Spider, and, on 
 throwing himself into attitude, displayed 
 a muscular development which could 
 hardly have been expected in so small a 
 man. His figure reminded us strongly 
 of his brother Johnny in his palmy days, 
 broad shouldered, sturdy, and square. 
 His arms were not so long as the Spi- 
 der's, but they were far more muscular, 
 and were evidently dangerous wea- 
 pons when wielded by one said to 
 possess equal skill with his brother in 
 the art of hitting. His attitude was 
 good, but to our mind too stiff"; but 
 this might have been in comparison to 
 his opponent, who is remarkable for hii 
 easy, elegant position. He looked all the 
 71b heavier than the Spider, and was 
 evidently a dangerous customer, and 
 one looked upon by many good jugges 
 (not led away by their blind confidence 
 in the little one) as an almost certain 
 conqueror. Little time was lost on ei- 
 ther side in sparring ; the Spider went 
 at once to his m.an, feinted, and let go 
 his left, which reached Alf's right brow 
 rather heavily. The Spider grinned, 
 and again put out his antenna^ but Walk- 
 er was prepared for him, and let go his 
 left to counter him, and the Spider see- 
 ing this drew back his arm. The Spi- 
 der made a second attempt of a like na- 
 ture, which was foiled by Walker's 
 sledge hammer. Joe then, as if tired of 
 vain attempts, dashed in, and some 
 slight exchanges took place. Walker on 
 the ribs and the Spider on the right 
 
ALF. WALKER AND THE SPIDER'S FIGHT. 
 
 ^5 
 
 cheek ; Walker's head at the same mo 
 merit coming in contact with the stake. 
 No great damage was done, and the Spi- 
 der slipped down. 
 
 2. Walker, without any ado, opened 
 the ball by dashing out his left and 
 right ; the former was short, but the lat- 
 ter reached Joe's left peeper. The Spi- 
 der returned quickly on the left cheek 
 and in getting away slipped and fell on 
 his nether end. Walker also overreach- 
 ing himself, fell. 
 
 3. Walker again commenced pro- 
 ceedings, as if determined to cut the Spi- 
 der down at once. He caught the Spi- 
 der on the lieft side of the head heavily 
 ■with his left, and the Spider missed his 
 return. Walker then closed, and some 
 mutual fibbing, without mischief, took 
 place, and Walker in the end finding he 
 could not throw the Spider, got down, 
 getting a rap from the Spider's left as he 
 fell. 
 
 4. Walker again went in, and caught 
 the Spider on the left cheek, the latter, 
 however, countered him beautifully, on 
 the mouth, a very straight hit, and drew 
 first bluod. Walker persevered — he 
 dashed in, but in an ungraceful scram- 
 bling w^ay, with his arms wide apart, 
 and the insect shot out his left heavily 
 on the dexter peeper, and then his right 
 on the ribs. Walker missed with both 
 hands. He tried again, but only reach- 
 ed the Spider's left shoulder with his 
 right. Still he would not be denied, 
 and as he went open armed at the Spi- 
 der, the latter met him straight on the 
 left eye, inflicting a cut from which the 
 ruby was quickly perceptible, Walker 
 reaching his ribs heavily with his right 
 in return. A close at the ropes followed, 
 in which Walker got the Spider round 
 the waist, close to the corner stake, and 
 pegged away heavily with his disengag- 
 ed arm at the ribs, on which he left 
 very visible marks of his knuckles. At 
 length both fell over the ropes, Walker 
 uppermost. 
 
 5. Walker's right cheek was a good 
 deal swollen and his left eye showed 
 the marks of the Spider's handy-work, 
 being nearly closed. Off'ers of 3 and 4 
 to 1 on the Spider were now heard, and 
 indeed seemed to be justified by the ap- 
 pearance of the men, the Spider being 
 
 a« yet without a scratch, and both 
 Walker's eyes showins: evidence of go- 
 ing into mourning. Waii^er again went 
 wildly in with his arms open, and let 
 go both hands. The Spider cleverly 
 stepped between them, however, and 
 dashtd out his nimble left, catching Alf 
 very straight on the rigbi cheek, and 
 immediately got out of harm's way. 
 Walker, who clearly had orders to force 
 the fighting, and to go in at all hazards, 
 followed him up, and the Spider, nothing 
 loth, stood and hit with him. Walker's 
 blows missed,while the little one propped 
 him beautifully on the bridge of his 
 conk, a regular stinger, and both were 
 then down in a scramble, Spider under- 
 most. 
 
 6. Walker, on the same system, went 
 to work, and let go his left and right, 
 but was beautifully stopped by the smil- 
 in? Spider, who seemed to treat his ef- 
 forts with contempt. He tried again, 
 and once more did his smeller come in 
 contact with the^ Spider's left feeler, 
 which was sent out as straight as a car- 
 penter's rule. The Spider then went at 
 his opponent, and attempted to repeat 
 the visitation, but Walker jumped away, 
 and the Spider, overbalancing 'himself, 
 fell flat on his face. 
 
 7. Walker as usual went in with both 
 hands in a determined manner, but the 
 Spider cleverly avoided both, and, with 
 great quickness, planted his right on 
 Alfred's left peeper, missing a visitation 
 on the dial with his left. Walker then 
 bored in, and closed, and both fell. 
 
 8^ Walker, whose phisog was much 
 flushed, came up laughing, as did his 
 gallant little opponent, whose quickness 
 and skill were udiversally admired. 
 Walker let go both hands, but the Spi- 
 der avoided his blows and planted his 
 left on the bread basket. Walker again 
 followed him up, and napped another 
 tell-tale hit on the left ogle from the 
 Spider's right. He succeeded, however, 
 in planting a severe counter-hit on the 
 mouth, which drew claret, and seemed 
 almost to knock the Spider off his pins. 
 It was evidently a hot one, but Joe treat- 
 ed it with contempt and closed. Walk- 
 er almost succeeded in getting down, but 
 the Spider cleverly lifted him up, and, 
 after a long struggle succeeded in throw- 
 ing, and falling on him. 
 
96 
 
 ALF. WALKER AND THE SPIDER'S FIGHT. 
 
 9 and last. Walker went in as he had 
 done in each of the previous rounds, 
 and the Spider, nothing loth, went to 
 him and attempted, as before, to prop him 
 as he lunged out. He missed him, how- 
 ever, and Walker's blow, coming with 
 great force, caught the poor little fellow 
 on the left temple, and down he fell. It 
 was at once seen that all was over. His 
 seconds shook him, and threw water on 
 him as he lay unconscious in the middle 
 of the ring, but to no purpose. They 
 then carried him to hisf corner, and after 
 a copious sousing with water, he appear- 
 ed slightly to recover. He was carried 
 to the scratch, but on being put upright, 
 was unable to stand ; he staggered, and 
 again falling forward, was caught by 
 his seconds. It was, of course long after 
 time, and Walker had by this time left 
 the ring. Some of Spider's friends at- 
 tempied to claim the fight on the ground 
 that Walker had left the ring before 
 time was called. We did not see when 
 he left, our attention being directed to 
 ihe Spider, but as the latter was clearly 
 out of time, and unable to walk to the 
 scratch, this was a mere quibble, which 
 was no doubt suggested in the heat of 
 the moment, and adopted by those who, 
 like ourselves, could scarcely believe 
 their eyes, and were loth to imagine it 
 possible that the Spider was actually 
 beaten in so short a time as sixteen min- 
 utes and half. Reflection and inquiry, 
 however, convinced these parties that 
 there was no justice in their claim, and 
 it was not pursued. Walker was pro- 
 claimed the winner, amidst the cheers 
 of his patrons, and all being over, a 
 move in the direction of the train took 
 place. 
 
 The Spider, on reaching his carriage, 
 was much affected at his ill-fortune, but 
 was somewhat consoled by the hope of 
 better luck next time. Beyond a slight 
 mark on the temple, and a cut on his 
 upper lip, he had not a scratch, while 
 Walker's right eye was nearly closed, 
 the left not much better ; his mug was 
 considerably swollen, and strongly in- 
 dicative of Joe's powers as a portrait 
 painter. All the spectators, were, with 
 some difficulty, got into the train, and 
 the expedition got under way for home 
 by half-past three o'clock, and, after a 
 
 slow and tedious journey, the voyageurn 
 were safely landed in the metropolis by 
 half-past six. The only consolation for 
 the shortness of the mill being that it 
 was, so far as it went, a manly, straight- 
 forward affair — and was so far unsatis- 
 factory in its result, that a second pas- 
 sage of arms between the same men 
 must inevitably be the result. ^ i 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The short duration of this affair ne- 
 cessarily tends greatly to curtail our 
 usual remarks. It was clear, from the 
 very commencement, that the gallant 
 little Spider held his opponent much too 
 cheap, and was so eager to cut him 
 down at once, that all regard for his 
 own personal safety seemed to be thrown 
 on one side. He apparently thought 
 himself invulnerable and invincible, 
 and forgetting that he was opposed to a 
 stronger and better man than he had 
 ever before met, went to work in his 
 old style, and a very pretty and telling 
 style it was, when played with caution. 
 Each round evidently gave him fresh 
 confidence; he was enabled to get on 
 to Walker's dial heavily, and frequently 
 with impunity, and succeeded in so da- 
 maging his optics, that one was com- 
 pletely closed on the following day, and 
 the other was in deep mourning. He 
 has, if possible, improved since he fought 
 Bowers, and his extraordinary quickness 
 and the length of his reach, coupled 
 with his cool determination, completely 
 electrified those who had never before 
 seen him figure in the P. R. We should 
 have been better pleased, however, to 
 see a little more caution exhibited at the 
 commencement. To attempt to cut down 
 a formidable adversary Jike Walker was 
 exceedingly bad generalship, and was 
 contrary to the advice of his seconds 
 and friends. Confidence is a very good 
 thing, but when carried to excess often, 
 leads us into error. Had he kept away, 
 and contented himself with a prop now 
 and again, at long shots, instead of go- 
 ing to close quarters, the very game to 
 suit such an adversary as Walker, he 
 W' ould have stood a much better chance 
 of victory. He has no doubt learned a 
 lesson on this occasion which will not, 
 in future, be thrown away upon him. 
 
% 
 
 1^ 
 
 THE GOOD TIME COMING. 
 
 > 
 
 RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE NEW-YORK FANCY. 
 
 BY FRANK QUEEN. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boys, 
 
 A good time coming : , 
 
 "Old Fogies" now must all take heed 
 That the Sporting World will take the lead 
 
 Inthe good time coming : 
 Once they were looked upon as small, 
 
 But now they're growing stronger ; 
 And very soon they'll have the call — 
 
 Wait a little longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boys, 
 
 A good time coming : 
 A new Race Course is being made, 
 Where heavy odds will oft be laid 
 
 In the good time coming ; 
 lifcompte's great time mnst there be beat. 
 
 For Hiram's arms are stronger 
 To guide a nag in a four mile heat — 
 
 Wait a little longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, ooys, 
 
 A good time coming : 
 In Yachting there are rumors rife 
 Of Matches made for friendly strife. 
 
 In the good time coming : 
 Tfte Bianca long has had the sway, 
 
 But they're building others stronger 
 In Philadelphia, so they say — 
 
 But, wait a liitle longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boys, 
 
 A good time coming : 
 Men who make a match to Fight, 
 Will take good care that all is right 
 
 In the good time coming ; 
 Shun all tricks and crosses too, 
 
 For honesty is stronger, 
 And holds all rascals up to view — 
 
 Wait a little longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boys, 
 
 A good time coming *. 
 There's many /ea<s we have in view, 
 Of running, walking, leaping, too. 
 
 In the good time coming. 
 With England's sons our own will tr) 
 
 Which of them is stronger : 
 We'll have rare matches by-and by^ 
 
 Wait a little longer. 
 
 There's a good^time coming, boys 
 A good time coming ; 
 
 Canadians say New-York shall yield 
 
 When next they meet upon the Field, 
 In the good time coming. 
 
 But the Cricketers of New-York, state 
 Their arms are growing stronger, 
 
 To gain the prize their foes must wait- 
 Just a little longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boj's, 
 
 A good time coming : 
 Henceforth all classes will resort 
 Where they can see the best of sport 
 
 In the good time coming ; 
 Treat all alike — act "on the square," 
 
 The cause will soon grow stronger, 
 In view of this it is but fair — 
 
 To wait a little longer. 
 
 There's a good time coming, boys, 
 
 A good time coming : 
 The Clipper will her sails unfurl. 
 And bring us news from all the world 
 
 In the good time coming : 
 Those who can, will take the field 
 
 To make our influence stronger. 
 For the sporting cause must be upheld— 
 
 Wait a little longer. 
 
THE FIGHT AT BOSTON CORNERS. 
 
 BY FRANK QUEEN. — Air — wake of teddy the tiler. 
 
 'Twas on the twelfth October last, 
 On Wednesday of the week just past, 
 When all the "Fancy" hurried fast, 
 To the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Sullivan made a match to fight, 
 With a man named Morrissey, all so tight, 
 And said he'd spoil the Trojan's sight. 
 And bruise his head both left and right. 
 Yet Morrissey feared him not a bit ; 
 But said he'd give him hit for hit 
 And knock him in a fainting fit 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Helter, skelter, how they go, 
 Slashing, crashing, twas'nt slow, 
 'Twas jolly times I'd have you know 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 The ring was made on even ground. 
 And thousands thronged it all around ; 
 But a referee, long, could not be found 
 For the fight at Boston Corners. 
 At last they found one who would do, 
 'Twas very near the hour of two. 
 And the people tired and hungry grew 
 When Morrissey's cap in the ring he threw. 
 Wilson soon did Yankee bring. 
 Who jumped the rope with nimble spring. 
 And landed in the inner ring, 
 For the fight at Boston Corners. 
 
 Helter, skelter, how they go, &c., &c. 
 " Time " was culled ; to fight the match 
 The men both walked up to the " scratch " 
 When Morrissey's eye did a "peeler" catch 
 At the fi.i;htat Boston corners. 
 He then dealt out some heavy blows, 
 "W hich reached the Yankees eves and nose, 
 And brought him on his hands and toes, 
 While -Vlorrissey's friends cried " there he 
 
 goes. " 
 Sullivan now began his " tricks " 
 By going down to escape the licks 
 Which came upon him thick as " bricks " 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 
 Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 The fourth round was the hardest fought : 
 A nd both men numerous " rippers " caught. 
 Rather more than either saught 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 At round the fifth, they both fought shy : 
 But Sullivan let a "stinger" fly. 
 Which caught poor Morrissey on the eye, 
 When his seconds lanced it "on the sly !" 
 While his face and body dripped with gore, 
 Poor Morri-ssey, suffering, fought the more, 
 AikI knocked the Yankee on the floor, 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 The men both fought so very well, 
 Which had the best 'twas hard to tell ; 
 Till Morrissey's eye began to swell 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 And now the Yankee tried to prop 
 
 Game Morrissey in the "same old spot," ^ 
 Who found he couldn't stand the shock ; ' 
 And soon he was compelled to drop. 
 Sullivan's fists they fain had told 
 With maiks severe on Morrissey bold. 
 Who said he yet his ground would hoi4 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. f 
 Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 And thus they fought from round to round ; 
 
 Each closed with Yankee on the ground, 
 
 But 'twas considered hardly sound 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Of rounds they ended thirty -six. 
 And Sullivan soon would Morrissey fix. 
 For the crowd all cried he's " good for nix" 
 But he said he'd show them some new 'tricks.' 
 And to make good the words he spoke. 
 He caught the Yankee round the throat, 
 And " bored"' him fiercely on the rope 
 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 With rage the Yankee's face now burned, 
 But quick as thought he Morrissey turned, 
 And thus the money nearly earned. 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 
 Morrissey slipped down on his knee, 
 
 But this the Yankee did not see. 
 
 And sent his fist in rather free. 
 
 Which with the lules did not agree. 
 
 O'Donnell seeing the blow was " foul," 
 
 At Sullivan rushed with a mighty howl, 
 
 And lent him one upon the jowl 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 • Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 The second of Yankee seeing the fun, 
 
 Up to O'Donnell quickly run. 
 
 And lent him one " clean as a gun," 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 Morrissey jumped up off his knee, 
 And went straight to the referee, 
 And said " to time I'm here you see, 
 Of course you must decide for me." 
 The referee thinking all was right. 
 To Morrissey said you " v.in the fight." 
 While the latter quickly took his flight, 
 
 From the ring at Boston Corners. 
 Helter, skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 All this time the Yankee fought away, 
 With this one, that one, in his way. 
 Not thinking he had lost the day 
 At the fight at Boston Corners. 
 The time-keener wished to end the fun. 
 And said twas "time" the round begun. 
 But the people told him all was done, 
 And how the battle Morrissey won. 
 But Yankee called with all his might, 
 Upon his man to end the fight. 
 But Morriss-ey was out of sight, 
 Of the ring at Boston Corners. 
 Helter. skelter, &c., &c. 
 
 314-77-2 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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