The Longest Fight

It was on this day, January 2, 1865, that perhaps the longest boxing match in US history occurred. The Civil War was only a few months from its conclusion, and Sherman was celebrating his march to the eastern seaboard.  Mining was a popular activity in the western portion of the nation, and men would make their way to find jobs, and perhaps fortunes.  The fight took place in Virginia City in the Montana Territory.  The fight would take place between John Condle Orem and Hugh O'Neil in a two year old building called Leviathan Hall. The long and arduous match would enter the annals of history for more than its length.

Virginia City, Montana Territory  1865

Boxing appeared to start taking off in the late antebellum period often as a matter of ethnic pride doing little to cease the discrimination often occurring to Irish and other Catholic immigrants from the large protestant population.  As the Irish laborers entered the US and its job market, competition for jobs increased as did ethnic tensions.  Bare-knuckle fighting would become prevalent in American cities, and was particularly so among the Irish men with pugilistic tendencies.  For the low-caste Irish, it often became a matter of pride.  One only need recall the scene in "Cinderella Man" with a church full of Irish working class families listening intently to the colorful radio commentary in the fight between working class and part-time pugilant James Braddock and world champion Max Baer. Braddock was to be a foil, an unassuming opponent meant to earn some extra cash for Baer, and provide entertainment to a depression era populace. Braddock was one of the last of the well known Irish fighters that stretched back to the antebellum period of US history.

James Braddock

Ethnic divisions became less pronounced during the Civil War, and more about recreation and relaxation.  Obviously a time before concussion theory was well known and when boys-will-be-boys mentality would promote such a high level activity.  Civil War units would see men fight not only for recreation but to show who had regimental bragging rights. Fighting was a source of pride for men who were seeing carnage on a level never before realized and perhaps never seen again.  The Civil War would introduce old methods of battle with newer weapons introducing a whole new level of killing.

Civil War boxing match

Boxing would also become a form of recreation in the mining towns of the frontier.  It was a mining town in the territory of Montana which would draw John Orem from his native Ohio, via Denver, to fight.  Orem had earned his knuckles fighting in the Colorado territories before moving east, and then heading back west. This would earn him the nickname "Colorado Blacksmith." His level of fighting involved both wrestling and boxing. Although he was a saloon owner, some say he was a teetotaler. Out east Orem would find that wrestling as part of the match would not go over well, and he drew back to the frontier. The fight on this day 150 years ago was arranged by James Nelson.  It was Nelson who had constructed Leviathan Hall in 1863 in Virginia City.  The building was reported by some to be 28' x 100', and have gradual rows of seating to allow an unobstructed view of the arena.  Nelson's main business was not the promoting of fights, ala Don King, but rather running the next door gambling saloon.  Nelson promoted this fight as a way bringing business to his crap and roulette tables.  He was doing what is done in Las Vegas today, providing a show in hopes that people will also fill the gambling room.

Fight at Leviathan Hall

The room that day would fill up as people gathered to watch a rather small, but now local man, John Orem take on the Irish-immigrant/miner Hugh O'Neil.  Orem was 29 years old, five years younger than his opponent, but was smaller in stature at a height of 5' 6.5" compared to O'Neil's 5'8.5", and he weighed about 138 pounds as compared to 190 for O'Neil.  Nelson, the owner of the building would  referee the match and was to follow the London Prize rules, although reports indicate it was a loosely called match.  For three hours and five minutes the two men would fight (although one source says it lasted over 5.5 hours),  185 rounds (some say 192 rounds). A title match today, by comparison, is composed of 15 rounds.  In the end it was called without a clear cut winner.

In another first, Nelson, who put up all the money for the fight, had guaranteed $1,000 in gold to the winner plus the two fighters would equally split the gate receipts.  To Nelson the cost was worth the money he would make in his casino. Little is known of what came of O'Neil, but Orem would seldom fight after this bout, and would move to other lines of activity in the entertainment field.  Boxing has waned in popularity in the United States.  The University of Wisconsin produced a number of collegiate champions, but the sport was banned by the NCAA in 1960 after UW boxer Charlie Mohr died eight days after suffering a blow to the head during a NCAA championship match.  Boxing made its way back to the UW as a club sport when it was approved by the University on December 4, 2013.

Charles Mohr

During the Civil War perhaps boxing was to the population, particularly male population, that football is today.  They are both pugilistic and hard hitting,  Both involve concussions.  But, both also involve a way for a few members of a lower economic class to rise make a name for themselves and some money. For most a dream in the NFL will remain nothing but a dream.  After his match with Max Baer Jimmy Braddock no longer had to water down his milk, or go hungry.  John Orem and Hugh O'Neil were doing the same, finding a method to use their abilities to make money. The 185 round, over three hour match never came to a final conclusion, but in the end both were likely winners for having given their all in such a long fight. Although, I wonder if Nelson split the gold between the two men, or if he called the fight so he could keep the $1,000 gold prize.