[List-Cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 05 Oct 1816 - Carlisle Races (3)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 05 Oct 1816   (p. 2, col. 5 - p. 3, col. 2)

 

CARLISLE RACES, 1816. 

 

[continued] 

 

The Fight between CARTER and OLIVER. 

 

This flash fight took place yesterday within one hundred yards of Springfield, in Scotland, commonly called Gretna Green, in the
presence of at least 15,000 spectators. The time and place were arranged by the respective parties on Thursday, and on Friday
morning the roads leading to the scene of action were completely glutted with all degrees of passengers; coaches, carriages,
curricles, gigs, sand-carts, dung-carts, horses, donkies, all were put in requisition, and the grotesque scene was not a little
heightened by the wet weather, and dirty state of the roads. In Carlisle, for some time previous to the day of battle, not a vehicle
of any sort, nor a horse could be obtained either for love or money. The battle was fought in a twenty-four feet ring, and the
ground, though not the most favourable, was in a very tolerable state. About half-past twelve o'clock CARTER made his appearance and
entered the ring with great confidence. He was immediately followed by his opponent, OLIVER, who came forward in equal spirits- 

 

           "They stripp'd, and to the eager eye, 

           Display'd their strength and symmetry. 

           Such as the bards of ancient days 

           Have sung in their immortal lays, 

           And to the Sculptor might impart 

           The antique beauties of the Art. 

           Both stood erect in manly tread, 

           An AJAX and a DIOMED."--Dance of Death. 

 

CARTER was seconded by PAINTER, and OLIVER by CRIBB; the Marquis of Queensberry and Colonel BARTON, Umpires. 

 

THE BATTLE.  

  

Intervals of half a minute between the Rounds. 

 

[Here follows a blow by blow description of all 31 rounds, which I have not transcribed, except for the last round.] 

 

ROUND 31.-CARTER hit at will, and felled his antagonist at a blow, who was deprived of motion, dreadfully cut, and lost to all
sensation. Here the battle ended in favour of CARTER. OLIVER could do no more! 

 

Observations.-The battle lasted 48 minutes, and was one of the most punishing description-the greediest lovers of milling were
satisfied! Both came into the ring well trained, and both were confident, but CARTER proved much superior in weight and strength to
OLIVER, and in every close mangled him terribly on the ropes. CARTER saw this advantage and followed it up, but he also had the best
of the off-handed hitting; it appeared immaterial to him, left hand or right, and the blows of both told most effectually; after the
15th round, OLIVER had no chance, but he proved his bottom completely, as he scorned to surrender while he knew where he stood. He
was taken from the ring and put to bed at Longtown with both eyes closed, cut up in all directions, and insensible; surgical aid was
procured, and he fainted several times under the presure [sic] of his sufferings, but, we were informed at Longtown, he afterwards
revived and took some refreshment. CARTER, though comparatively but little injured, displayed sound bottom; he feels most from the
body blow received in the 10th round; he left the ring in high spirits, and amidst the cheerings of his friends. Many thousand
pounds depended on the issue of this battle, and the Londoners, who were very confident, are taken in largely. They had a notion
that CARTER had no bottom in him, and could only hit with his left hand; the event has proved both ideas to have been fallacious. 

 

CARTER acquires both fame and fortune by his victory; he is now Champion of England, CRIBB having declared off. Too much praise
cannot be given to PAINTER, who trained CARTER; and we may rest assured that OLIVER was treated in the first stile under the hands
of Capt. BARCLAY. The battle was more distinguished for desperate, straight-forward fighting, than for science, of which very little
was displayed after the two or three first rounds. The Carlisle people have pretty well lined their pockets, and they might have
done so in a ten-fold degree, if they had accepted the offers of the forward Londoners; but they acted a prudent part. CARTER
himself pockets about 150 guineas. 

 

Thus has ended a battle which excited as much, or more interest, than any of the sort ever fought. Many have contemplated its
approach with delight; many with disgust. The latter consider pugilism the disgrace of a civilized country; while the arguments of
the former are comprized in the following quotation, with which the sporting reader will be willing that we shall close our
account:- 

 

          " 'Tis the HOME COMBATS that prepare 

          The Hero for the feats of War. 

          It is the triumphs of the Fist, 

          The contests of the Pugilist, 

          Tis these that discipline the Will 

          To future darings and instil 

          The spirit that ne'er knows to yield 

          In contests of the tented Field; 

          And teach the Seaman to sustain 

          The bloody conflict of the Main." 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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