Sam Collyer Sam Collyer ( May 14 , 1842 Boulogne , France - December 7 , 1904 , Brooklyn , New York ) was a lightweight bare - knuckle boxer . He was the son of James Jamieson and Jane Taylor of Angus , Scotland . He weighed between 115 and 125 pounds , and stood 5 feet 5 ½ inches . Early life . Collyer was born in France as Walter Jamieson . He came to the United States as a boy . He joined the Army from Brooklyn in September 1862 . He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Siege of Petersburg . He left the army with the rank of captain in June 1865 . Boxing career . The earliest contests of Sam Collyer differ from source to source . Some list different dates , locations and people for these bouts . It is certain however , that Collyer did battle , and defeat a man named Mike Carr in early 1866 . The first significant contest of Collyer ’ s career was his bout with Horatio “ Race ” Bolster . The two met in Alexandria , VA on May 8 , 1866 . During the contest , Bolster broke his hand , and was given a tremendous beating . The fight ended after 49 rounds and 55 minutes . Collyer ended the contest when he knocked his opponent off his feet , and Bolster ’ s seconds threw in the towel . Later that year , Collyer battled former champion Barney Aaron for the vacant Lightweight Championship of America . The Title had been vacated since the retirement of Owney Geoghegan back in 1863 . The Aaron / Collyer contest was held on June 20 , 1866 at Pohick Landing , VA . 47 rounds and 2 hours and 14 minutes were contested before Collyer was declared the winner . Below is an account of the last few rounds of the Collyer / Aaron fight as written in the New York Herald on June 21 , 1866 : " Rounds 41 to 44 — These rounds were merely repetitions of each other , Barney constantly going down on his knees , apparently for the purpose of receiving a foul blow and thereby winning the stakes . At the close of " " Round 47 — He was entirely blind , and his seconds seeing that there was no possible chance of success and unwilling to subject a game man to further punishment threw up the sponge in token of defeat . " On September 7 , 1866 Collyer defended his title against Johnny Lafferty in a contest that lasted 39 rounds and 62 minutes ( some sources report 60 minutes ) . His second defense came against Johnny McGlade at Goldsboro , PA on January 15 , 1867 . McGlade had suffered a severe fever while training , and was completely dominated during the contest . The two battle for 47 rounds and 55 minutes in the sleet covered ring before McGlade ’ s corner threw in the towel . Collyer lost his title in a rematch with Barney Aaron on June 13 , 1867 . The two contested in a hard fought battle for 67 rounds and 1 hour and 55 minutes at Aqua Creek , WV . Immediately after winning the title , Barney Aaron retired from the ring , leaving the crown open for Collyer to reclaim . The first man to challenge his right to the title was Billy Kelly . Kelly was a gifted pugilist , and word of the battle quickly spread . The Collyer / Kelly contest was held on November 27 , 1867 in Strickland , PA . Collyer pressed the fight from start to finish , and his opponent was forced into the defensive mode for nearly the entire bout . A total of 111 short rounds and 1 hour and fifty minutes were fought before the champion knocked his opponent down for the final time . Below is an account of the last three rounds ( and conclusion ) of the contest . They were documented in the New York Herald the day after the contest : " Round 109 — Collyer , determined to close fight before dark , rushed in [ ? ? ] Kelly and struck him a right - hander over the left [ ? ] , then gave him the left on the nose , and again the right on the mouth , when Kelly went down . " " Round 110 — Collyer led off with his left , which brought upon Kelly ’ s nose , and then , putting in two heavy right - handers clinched , Kelly and threw him , falling heavily on him . " " Round 111 and Last — Collyer rushed at Kelly and hitting a heavy right - hander in the mouth knocked him down . " " The sponge was thrown up in token of defeat and Sam Collyer hailed the victor . Kelly , the game fellow , was much mortified at the result and shed tears . Collyer went over to him and putting his arms around him , also burst into tears . He then went around among the crowd and collected money for the man he had beaten in a fair fight for the championship of the lightweights of America . " On August 24 , 1868 Collyer lost his championship to Billy Edwards in 47 rounds . Collyer attempted to regain the title in a return match with Edwards on March 7 , 1870 . This time the former champion was forced to give in after 40 rounds . Following this contest , Collyer ’ s status as a prize - fighter began to diminish . He lost a third contest with Edwards in 1874 , and a bout with Jack McAuliffe in 1888 . His last recorded contest was in 1892 . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : 1st Sergeant , Company B , 139th New York Infantry . Place and date : At Petersburg , Va . , 30 July 1864 ; At Fort Harrison , Va . , 29 September 1864 . Entered service at : New York , N . Y . Birth : France . Date of issue : 5 April 1898 . Citation : Voluntarily went between the lines under a heavy fire at Petersburg , Va . , to the assistance of a wounded and helpless officer , whom he carried within the Union lines . At Fort Harrison , Va . , seized the regimental color , the color bearer and guard having been shot down , and , rushing forward , planted it upon the fort in full view of the entire brigade . Later life . After retirement Collyer began working as a machinist in the Brooklyn Navy Yard , and remained there until his death on December 7 , 1904 . During his life he raised the teenage sons of his late brother , Henry Jamieson , and performed with the boys in Barnum and Bailey show . Legacy . Sam Collyer was elected into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1964 .