Wrestling matches in camp

[Slouches_N_Slovens]

Does anyone have references to soldiers holding wrestling matches in camp? If this type of athletic activity occured (and it seems logical that it would have) I wonder about rules and "scoring"? I suppose that it might have been set up so that the first wrestler to choke the other guy out would have won.
Any help would be appreciated.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Wrestling matches in camp

I've read several accounts of men wrestling in camp and even one of a pretty wide-spread scam going on which involved (obviously) grafting soldiers out of their money in well-staged but thrown matches.

The best wrestling account I've read comes from the camp of the 1st Regt. U.S. Sharpshooters. It was April 1863 and Colonel Hiram Berdan was putting on an entire day's worth of various shooting matches and sporting events to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his 1st Regt. going into battle at Yorktown. Berdan hosted horse races, target shooting, trick shooting, foot races, wrestling and boxing matches, and just about anything else he could come up with for his off-duty men. He also invited the 2nd Regiment of Sharpshooters and many off-duty men and officers of other regiments showed up to see the spectacle. The wrestling even was apparently set up so each company from both Sharpshooter regiment could pick their best wrestler, then the chosen men from each company would face off against each other. I believe Jacob Bailed, a "noted grappler" from Co F 1st Regiment, beat out all of the challengers and won the title. In August that same year he was discharged for wounds.

Chad, we should stage some of these events at the CoI. It's about the same time period as Berdan's festival.

Brian White
Randolph Mess, U.S.S.S.
Slackerz Saloon Mess, GHTI

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: Wrestling matches in camp

Brian,

The CoI is set for April of '64, not '63. Nevertheless, this may be something to add in for next year, though I think that we all know who would throw each of us out of the ring. Perhaps if we played "Canadian doubles" against Chad we could get him, but I just envision him standing on the neck of one of us while spinning the other above his head.

Nevertheless, I wish we saw more kinds of camp activities like this at events. The occasional game of rounders is a nice distraction, but these guys were finding things to do all the time. It would be nice if we could plan an event where nothing happend, and the fellows had to make their own fun. Than again, who would stay at such an event, or for that matter, who would come in the first place? Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see what the fellows came up with, (like racing hardtack down a flooded road Mr. White!)


Cheers,

[Slouches_N_Slovens]

Re: Wrestling matches in camp

Thanks for the replies, fellas. I should have known that I could count on you two to add your voice to this thread. Well, I say, "Why not?". I would love to have things like this to do in camp while there is an abundance of "down time". To be sure, there is little of this at the best events, but we all know that just about every group attends one of two events a year, for various reasons, that are not of the utmost quality.
Wrestling, boxing, baseball, all physical activities would be fun to do.

C'mon Dan, no wrestling matches at this year's COI? I'm even in good shape for it. I've got a whole stack of back pay from last year's campaign that says I can best any man in the company! I think John White and "Big Mike" would give me the most hassle.
I just wonder what the rules of the wrestling matches were. I doubt that they were based on a system using points for earning takedowns and body positioning. Did they wrestle with each other until one guy forced the other guy to "tap out", much like UFC fights today? I am guessing that they might have done just that.
Guys, in your readings, do they describe the nature of the wrestling matches? I'd just be curious for the details.

Thanks for the laugh,

[Livingston Guards]

Re: Wrestling matches in camp

A couple of references from the boys of Hood's Texas Brigade....

“After remaining in camp at Red Top two or three days, we moved three miles west to the edge of Roan's Prairie, where we had a beautiful grove for shade, a fine well of water, and the open prairie for drill purposes. As the company was composed of men from three counties, of course they had to be tried out to see which county had the champion athletes; so we had running, jumping, wrestling, boxing, and many different games. We had horse races also. Marion Brown, from Huntsville, proved the champion foot racer (the gallant boy was killed by my side in the first days battle at Chickamauga), and my horse, Claud Duval, maintained the reputation of the "Irish Dragoon" and beat everything he was pitted against.” – [Confederate Veteran, XXIV (August, 1916) p. 362-363]

“We marched out of town in double file to the tune of "Dixie" played by two "Fiddlers" at the head of the column and the "Kids" in the line were yelling lustily, fully believing that they constituted the main part of the army. At nightfall we struck camp on the banks of Bull Creek, a beautiful clear stream, about eight miles out. The "Kid" bunch fiddled, boxed, wrestled, yelled and whipped the Yankees all night, preventing the older men from getting any sleep.” HISTORY OF COMPANY M - FIRST TEXAS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY