Yankee Sullivan

Yankee Sullivan (born James Ambrose; c. March 10, 1811 – May 31, 1856), also known as Frank Murray and James Sullivan, was a bare-knuckle fighter and boxer. He was a prizefighting champion from 1851 to October 12, 1853. He considered himself to be the inheritor of Tom Hyer's title and lost any claim to that title after losing a fight to John Morrissey.

James Ambrose was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland in 1811. He grew up in London's East end and became a prizefighter at an early age. He arrived in Australia after being sentenced 20 years jail. Having served eight years building roads he was granted a "ticket of leave" and settled in the Rocks area of Sydney, which was considered the most dangerous waterfront in the world.

Ambrose had a realization that crime did pay and established a cut-throat razor blade gang known as the Sydney Ducks who were known to terrorize, wound and rob any person that crossed their paths or who had a heavy purse. Drunken Sailors, Red Coats and gentlemen were their favored quarry. As a bare knuckled fighter, Ambrose was handy with his fists and had a fierce reputation. Although no records of his fights as a ticket of leave-convict exist, one chronicler recalled many of his encounters and battles that had occurred on Sydney's Observatory Hill; "In bloody battles on Observatory Hill he fought against lanky American Sea-Men, Pig tailed British Tars and sunburnt currency lads and was unbeatable".

Sullivan arrived in New York in the early 1840s and gained a reputation as a prizefighter and a political enforcer. He was sentenced to two years in state prison for his involvement in the promotion of a fight between Christopher Lilly and Thomas McCoy which resulted in the death of McCoy. He received a pardon after two years on the condition that two men put up two hundred dollars and that he agree not to fight for two years. During his time in New York he was the owner of a saloon known as the Sawdust House on Walker Street.

On February 7, 1849, he fought Tom Hyer in Still Pond, Maryland. Billed as a contest between undefeated fighters, the men left Baltimore by boat accompanied by a party of three hundred spectators. The flotilla was being chased by two groups of local Militia and a detachment of police aboard the steamer Boston. The Boston had a scow in tow for returning prisoners as well as some small boats. The fight was originally scheduled to take place on Poole's Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. On the day before the fight, Tom Hyer went to Carroll Island near the western shore of the bay while Yankee Sullivan took up temporary residence in a building on Poole's Island.

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