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_ THE GREAT
PRIZE-FIGHT, which had been the standard
topic of conver-
sation for many months in fighting circles, and which, to
confess the truth,
had occupied a large share of the attention of refined
society for the same
time, came off, according to the agreement, on Wednesday,
the 7th of February,
1849, at Rock Point, mouth of Still Pond Creek, in Kent
County, on the
eastern shore of Maryland, about 40 miles from
Baltimore.
SETTING THE STAKES
_
At ten minutes past four everything
was set, and notice was given to the
parties in the house that all was ready.
IN THE RING
_
Sullivan, shortly after this summons,
emerged from the house, being pre-
ceded 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
enthusisstic 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
before him. Another
burst of clamor then rent the sky, and amid increased
enthusiasm, 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 seconds' knees. and confronted each other while the
final preliminaries
were arranged.
_
While thus awaiting the summons to
the ordeal, the seconds, Joe Win-
row and John Ling, the first for Hyer and the latter for
Sullivan, came for-
ward and made the toss for choice of ground. This was won
for Sullivan,
who, thereupon, reserved the corner, where he already sat,
giving to his
antagonist the bright and dazzling sun directly in his eyes.
The seconds
now took their corners, Tom Burns taking the place of the
captured Thomp-
son. Hyer's regular trainer, and Country McCleester
supplying the absence
of Tom O'Donnell, on the part of Sullivan. Outside the
ropes, in waiting
on the latter, was Stephen Wilson, acting as bottle holder,
and on the other
corner, similary affixed, was the brother of the lofty
champion. At twenty-
minutes past four exactly, Winrow asked the question: "Are
you ready?"
"Yes," said Sullivan, rising and beginning to strip off his
outer clothes, 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 absorbing interest which held
possession of
all minds during the proceedings, that but a single bet was
offered and
made. Indeed $35 was the entire amount that was wagered on
the ground,
and that bet was even.
THE MEN
_
As the antagonists stood up, all
ready for the strife, there was a marked
disparity in the appearance of the men. Hyer stood six feet
two and a half
inches, and Sullivan but five ten and a half. The weight of
the former,
woreover, was in the close neighborhood of 185 lb., while
the avoirdupois
of Sullivan was rated no higher than 155 lb., making the
difference of thirty
pounds in Hyer's favor. 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, formidable head, shelving flinty
brows, fierce
glaring eyes, and clean-turned shoulder, looked the very
incarnation of the
spirit of meschievous genius; while 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
umpire for Sullivan, asked the seconds
of his side if they intended to examine Hyer's shoes, but
they declined the
formality as a matter of little consequence, upon which the
word was given
and the men came up. According to rule they were obliged to
shake hands
before they began, but they performed the ceremony warily,
and at ex-
treme arm's length. It was the business of the seconds next
to do the same,
but before they could reach the scratch to go through the
idle ceremony,
the eager crowd shouted them back, and they gave way at once
to the glad-
iatorial show.
_
Round 1. Sullivan with his arms well
up and every muscle swelling with
it's preparation, darted towards Hyer, who stood resolutely
awaiting for him
with his body well forward and in formidable 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 forehead, which made a long abrasion on the
scalp, but which,
notwithstanding the power of the blow, showed neither blood
nor discolor-
tion at the time. Gathering himself for a return, Sullivan
then rushed in
at the body, and after two or three ineffective exchanges
clinched his an-
tagonist with the underhold 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 superior 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 terri-
ble anxiety therefore existed as to the result of this
endeaver. In its
fierce agitations, the spectators, who stood in an outer
ring of plank laid
over the snow some feet distant from the ropes of the arena,
involuntarily
rushed forward and swarmed against the ropes. Two or three
times did
Sullivan knot his muscles with an almost superhuman effort,
but all served
only to postpone his overthrow; for when he had spent his
power by these
terrible impulsions, his iron adversary wrenched him to the
ground with
the upperhold, and fell heavily, prone upon his body. This
decided the
largest part of the outside betting in favor of the 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 under-
rated their opponent.
_
2. As soon as time was called, 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 between his body and that
of his opponent,
instead of taking its beams directly in his eyes. As
Sullivan came up this
time, the blood from the scratch upon his forehead made
crimson confession
of its severity, and elated the friends of the tall one with
shrieks of "first
blood for Hyer!" Sullivan at this hosanna rushed desperately
in, and meet-
ing Hyer where he paused to receive his charge, 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 attended with serious effect to either side. A
feint from Sul-
livan, and a dodge from Hyer, intervened; when another rally
followed,
Sullivan taking in return for a couple of body blows two
severe discharges
on the left eye, by a sort of half upper cut with the right
hand, which brought
the blood again. Sullivan then rushed in and clinched; he
caught the un-
derhold again, but efforts were nought, and he was twisted
to the ground
as if he had been a man of grass, his huge antagonist
falling upon him as be-
fore with his entire weight. Shouts for Hyer.
_
3. The hopes of Sullivan's friends
were now fading fast, and indeed he
seemed impressed himself with the idea that he was
over-matched. 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, he let fly
right and left,
and catching Hyer with the latter blow upon the body (some
say neck)
staggered him backwards 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.
_
4. Both came up this time with the
upmost alacrity, Sullivan encouraged
by his success, and Hyer showing the upmost eagerness to get
even. Sul-
ivan hurried up, and led of without getting in, and Hyer, in
his excite-
ment, not only returned short, but openhanded. 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 them 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 return. Sullivan
then ran in
and clinched, but his hold did him no good, for he was
thrown in the same
manner as before, Hyer falling on him and laying across him
for several
seconds, until his henchmen could come slowly and take him
off. Expres-
sions of dissatisfaction here broke out from Sullivan's
friends, and the um-
pire of that side claimed "foul," on the score that the
upper man was not
sooner removed. The question was put to the referee, who,
however, de-
ided "fair."
_
5. Sullivan, who suffered
considerably in the last round by his eager-
ness to improve the advantage he had gained in the third,
led off with the
same reckless spirit, and with the same desperate aim. He
struck wildly
right and left at the head, but getting stopped, next tried
the body. His
incautiousness, however, received a heavy punishment in the
shape of a
tremendous right-hand Paixhan on the left eye, which hit him
down upon
his hand, with one knee 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,
however, that as
Hyer had turned away, Sullivan, apparently wild, had risen,
and recom-
menced the round; whereupon Hyer turned upon him, and
pressed him by
main strength to the ground. While this supplementary
struggle was going
on, the umpire raised his eyes, and supposing Hyer had
turned to attack
Sullivan after the round had finished, as he had marked it,
called out "foul."
The character of the renewal was explained to him, however,
whereupon he
withdrew his complaint.
_
6. Sullivan now began to show his
punishment and fatigue in a slight
nervousness of his legs, but still he ran bodly 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 unpleasant 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 advantage, 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 Sullivan's neck,
but the claim was
not made out.
_
7. 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 his ground. The little man, as he approached
his huge an-
tagonist, seemed as if dispirited by the decision of the
referee, while he
was nearly spent with the severe exertions that he had made
to hit and get
away. But he hit with no effect, while the blows of his
powerful antagonist
made the blood flow profusely down his face, although they
had really less
effect upon the unfortunate left eye than it seemed. Several
exchanges
were made, all against Sullivan, when he rushed in and again
at his wrestling
hold, and found the ground as he had done in these close
encounters every
time before.
_
8. The hit in the eye which Hyer
received in the second round, now
showed its colors, and puffed up with dirty pride and vanity
over the sur-
rounding flesh. Sullivan's left eye was no better; indeed
worse, and bore
many testimonials in crimson crevices of Hyer's black and
long knuckles.
Sullivan again made play 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
finding that he
could not perry off these terrific hits, ran in again, but
was thrown as before,
Hyer falling on him, and lying with his breast across
Sullivan's chest, neck,
and face. Hyer's seconds were again slow in coming up to
take him off,
upon which another appeal of "foul" was made to the referee,
who, how-
ever, decided "fair," though he admitted he could not see at
all times, in
consequence of the crowd getting between him and the men,
and jostiling
him about since the first round.
_
9. "Time" came around 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; Sullivan being literally clotted with
gore, while the
clear crimson smoked on Hyer's chest, from a lance wound
which had been
made undr 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 with a freshened vigor, and showed the
same determina-
tion as when he commenced the battle. Hyer, who was cool and
apparently
unfatigued, 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 suc-
cessful aggression, and dodged two wicked looking blows; but
in endeavor-
ing to return with a rush, he brought Hyer to his usual
defensive position.
He then took Sullivan's blows without wincing or endeavoring
to stop them,
being satisfied to take advantage of the right-hand counter,
which from the
first had told with such terrible effect. Sullivan rushed in
again to save
himself from punishment, and was thrown, with Hyer on
him.
_
10. 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 ground.
_
11. Hyer, strong on his pins,
respiring regulary, and evidently in posses-
sion of all his strength. He waited for Sullivan as before,
and though Yan-
kee came up rather slower than before, Hyer was content to
wait his ap-
proach rather than alter a 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 uppermost as before, but
with Sullivan's
leg locked over his until he was taken off.
_
12. This time both men came up quick,
and Sullivan led off hitting 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 Secor dodge, and
endeavored to slip
under Hyer with the left, on top of the head, with a round
blow, which dis-
charged him to the ground.
_
13. Up to this time all the fighting
was done in Sullivan's corner, making
Hyer's boast good that he should not have an inch more than
twelve feet to
do his fighting in. This round commenced 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 engaged, when a man from
Boston, by
the name of Hennessey, seized his thumb, and bent it
backwards from its
hold, whereupon Hyer let go, and clinching Sullivan,
wrenched him to the
ground, and fell upon him.
_
14. Sullivan giving out fast; Hyer,
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 upon
him.
_
15. Sullivan shaky on his pins, and
Hyer apparently as strong as ever. As
Sullivan came up and attempted 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 struggle he caught his arm, and
bending it
backward in its socket, gave it a wrench that must have
caused the most
agonizing pain; he then clinched and threw him to the
ground, and fell up-
on him as before.
_
16. When time was called, Sullivan
was slow in rising from his second's
knee, and 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, but advancing beyond the score,
let fly both
right and left in Sullivan's face, who, though he could not
return it, took it
without wincing 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 around 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 shouts then went up for the victor, and
the party
commenced unthreading the stakes of their halyards, for the
voyage back.
_
Thus ended a contest which had
excited more interest than any other
pugilistic encounter that ever took place in this country;
but which,
though it engaged thousands of minds for a period of six
long months,
was done up, when once begun, in seventeen minutes and
eighteen seconds.
_
The boat soon got up sail after the
battle was over, and made for Pool
Island 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 getting a peep at the fight.
REMARKS
_
The foregoing contest may 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 almost super-
human efforts to outfight and stun his antagonist from the
start, while
Hyer, who seemed to be thoroughly aware of his intent,
contented himself
with standing at the scratch and forbidding any entrance to
his side, by the
tremendous counter hits which he delivered in return for
Sullivan's rapid
visitations. He did not attempt to make parrying a leading
feature of his
policy, but for the greater portion of the time cheerfully
met Sullivan's
blows for a chance at 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 the
struggle. In addition to this, Hyer showed excellent skill
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
farther, he was cool
and self-possessed, with the exception of a moment or two at
the opening of
the fourth round, when he seemed either shaken by his fall,
or stung from his
control by the cheers which greeted Sullivan for the
handsome blow. Sulli-
van on the other hand fought wild and eager. He did not
display that
shrewdness and care which has characterized all his previous
fights, but
seemed 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. He
hurried to the scratch at every round, and commenced leading
off right and
left, and when obliged to take it more severely than he
bargained for, in-
variably rushed in for a clinch, notwithstanding each
succeeding 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 sur-
prising to his friends, he would resist strongly every time,
instead of slip-
ping 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 a "foul," 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
prescribes the
length of time which a man may be allowed to lie upon
another between
the rounds, but the common law of the ring gives to each
side the posses
sion of their man the instant the round has ended. Sullivan
was therefore,
the property of his seconds the instant 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 seconds to let him
lie when he
had the advantage, but it was the duty of Sullivan'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 results of their not having done it, was, that while
Hyer, after the
struggle and throw, would repose at ease on Sullivan's body
and draw
resprirations of fresh atmosphere, Sullivan was crushed with
the incumbent
weight, and capable of catching only a few muffled
breaths.
_
There never was, perhaps, a battle in
which there was so much fighting
is so short a space of time; none, certainly, in which more
resolute punish-
ment was given and taken, without flinching on either side.
The history
of the fight consists in the fact that Sullivan was
over-matched; and, in
the further fact that Hyer showed himself capable of
matching any man of
his size and weight, doubtless, who exists in Britian or the
United States.
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