Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-22-2014 12:00 AM Boxing in the Union Blue: A Social History of American Boxing in the Union States During the Late Antebellum and Civil War Years Greggory M. Ross The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Kevin Wamsley The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Greggory M. Ross 2014 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the American Popular Culture Commons, Other Kinesiology Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Ross, Greggory M., "Boxing in the Union Blue: A Social History of American Boxing in the Union States During the Late Antebellum and Civil War Years" (2014). 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BOXING IN THE UNION BLUE: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN BOXING IN THE UNION STATES DURING THE LATE ANTEBELLUM AND CIVIL WAR YEARS (Thesis format: Monograph) by Greggory Ross Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Greggory Ross 2014 ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS This study explores the social history of boxing in the Civil War era Union States in both the martial and civilian contexts, focusing on issues of masculinity, ethnicity, race, and class. This dissertation is divided into four sections, each emphasizing a different boxing scene. First, boxing in is explained in the context of the Union Army, drawing upon accounts of military life from diaries, letters, official army correspondence, and newspapers to examine how soldiers used: gloved sparring for physical and mental exercise and camaraderie; bare-knuckle prizefighting for dispute resolution, entertainment, and gambling; and both forms of boxing to exhibit masculine prowess. This section also discusses the various roles of prize fighters in the Union Army. The dissertation then focuses on Civil War era civilian boxing, beginning with an analysis of pugilism in New York State, illustrating the importance of sparring and prizefighting for Irish, English, and white native-born American working-class masculinity in Brooklyn and Manhattan; the marginalization of black boxers throughout the State; sparring as a component of middle-class ‘rational recreation’ routines and wartime distraction; and, the suppression of boxing in those portions of New York most impacted by the Second Great Awakening. Section three follows a similar line of inquiry to section two, but uses a broader geographical scope to assess the social significance of boxing in the broader northeastern region, examining the similarities and differences evident between boxing scenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts; and, rural New Jersey. Lastly, boxing practices in the Midwestern and Western regions of the Union States are discussed, including analyses of boxing in Midwestern boomtowns; Border States; predominantly German-American settings; western Mexican-American contexts; and the western mining frontier. After examining boxing in such varied contexts, this dissertation argues against a ‘national’ understanding of boxing in favor of more culturally sensitive regional and local explanations of pugilistic activities, consistent with the existing historiography of the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Western United States. KEYWORDS: Boxing History; Civil War History; Civil War Soldiers and Sport; Sports on the Union Home Front; American History; Boxing in Local and Regional Contexts; Masculinity and Boxing; Race and Boxing; Ethnicity and Boxing. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In writing, like in fighting, it takes a team to succeed. Both professions are mislabelled as ‘lonely’ career choices. Yet, this dissertation would never have materialized without the support of my colleagues, friends, and family. First and foremost, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my wife Lyndsay, who loved and supported me through all the late nights of writing and researching. A special thank you is also reserved for my advisor Kevin Wamsley. All of his input and guidance during this lengthy writing process, along with his personal and professional support, has been invaluable. I am also honoured and thankful to have Michael Heine, Janice Forsythe, Bob Barney, Jonathan Vance, Don Morrow, and Stephen Wenn on my examining committees. A PhD candidate could not ask for a more accomplished ensemble of referees. I would also like to thank my family for all their loving encouragement during my PhD years, especially my parents, Gregg and Susan Ross, who have always supported my goals, no matter how lofty; in-laws John and Carol Ayton and Ernie and Tracy Foisey for making Ontario feel like home; all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins; and my brother Jared “Honey Badger” Ross for keeping me grounded and well-fed during my visits to Moncton. I was lucky to be surrounded by friendly and critical colleagues during my years at Western University and the North American Society of Sport History (NASSH). I would, however, like to extend my gratitude to classmates Toby Rider, Terry Gitersos, Stephen Swain, Braden Te Hiwi, Michael Capobianco, and Megan Popovich for their friendship and advice during my time at Western. I would also like to thank Colin Howell, Sandy Galloway, and Daryl Leeworthy, all of whom played a major role in my MA studies at Saint Mary’s University and continued to offer support and guidance throughout my PhD. Over these last six years, you were all in my corner, helping me “KO” this dissertation with advice, love, and friendship. Now we head into the championship rounds. Ring that bell! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract and Keywords ....................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................iv Glossary ...........................................................................................................................viii Chapter 1: Entering the Ring ......................................................................................... 1 My Hat in the Contest: Purpose and Chapter Outline .................................................... 2 Sources and Methods ..................................................................................................... 8 The Long Road to Civil War: Sectionalism, Slavery, and the Collapse of a Nation ... 13 The Historiography of Sport During the Antebellum and Civil War Years ................ 21 Down for the Count: The Social History of Boxing .................................................... 29 Endnotes ....................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 2: “Shy Your Castors into the Ring and Approach the Scratch Bravely:” Boxers and Boxing in the Union Army ............................................... 44 The Practicality of Sparring in the Union Army .......................................................... 47 For “Pugilists and Onlookers:” Sparring as a Component of Communal and Individual Masculinities in the Union Army ........................................................ 50 Sparring as “Healthy Exercise:” Boxing as a Remedy for Mental and Physical Afflictions ............................................................................................................. 56 “Soldier Boys on the Muscle:” The Meanings of Prizefighting in the Union Army ... 61 “Men of muscle, who can hit straight from the shoulder:” Prizefighters in the Union Blue ............................................................................................................ 67 Fire Laddies and Prizefighters: Elmer E. Ellsworth and the Eleventh New York Volunteers ............................................................................................................. 74 iv “We Boys is Sociable with Pavin’ Stones!”: The Trials and Tribulations of Billy Wilson’s Boys ....................................................................................................... 85 Boxers and the Draft: The Sporting Subcultures and the Realities of Total War, 1862-1863 ........................................................................................................... 100 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 105 Endnotes ..................................................................................................................... 106 Chapter 3: The Empire State of Pugilism: Sparring, Prizefighting, and Civil War in New York City, Brooklyn, and Rochester ................................................ 120 “The Shillelah and the Mauley:” Ethnic Politics, Violence, and Boxing