"Soldier" Jacob Bartfield

 

 

___________________________________________

 

Soldier Bartfield fought many of the great Hall of Famers during his time such as Jack Britton, Ted "Kid Lewis, Harry Greb, Benny Leonard, Mike Gibbons and Mickey Walker.

 

 

Bartfield fought for the world middleweight championship title 5 times. He fought Al McCoy 3 times for the title-7/9/14, 8/6/14, 10/23/15. All 3 were 10 round newspaper decisions. Soldier actually won the fight on 10/23/15 but in the no decision era the only way a champion could lose his crown was if he got knocked out.

Soldier fought for the title again on 9/19/19 against Mike O'Dowd. The last attempt was on 7/1/20 against Johnny Wilson. None of the attempts were successful.

 

What makes his career record so impressive is the fact that he fought all these greats during their primes, and fought them each multiple times.

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________

Here is a newspaper article from the Pittsburgh Post. December 26, 1914.

SOLDIER BARTFIELD SORROW STRICKEN

PUGILIST WOULD GLADLY GIVE SAVINGS TO RESCUE LOVED ONES FROM WAR ZONE.

"Here's your money, Soldier- don't spend it all in one place," said a New York fight promoter, as he handed Soldier Bartfield his money for thrashing "Champ" Al McCoy in that city last Tuesday night.

Bartfield was unlacing one of his fighting shoes as the promoter came in. He took the money and a sad little smile played about his features.

"I'm afraid I'd have to go along way to spend this where I'd like to spend it." began Bartfield. "I've got this and $4,000 more to spend on those I love if I only knew about them.

'I came from Lanczyn, Austria. My folks own a big estate there. At the very begining of the war the Russians moved into that section. I got one letter from my brother. He was a student in the Royal College there. He told me that the school had been turned into a hospital and that our people had blown up the big salt center near us to keep it out of the hands of the enemy.

"My brother was ordered into the government railroad service. God only knows if he is alive or dead, for no word has come since from any of my people. They seized all my fathers horses and cattle besides his lands. I've appealed to the Austrian consul and have told him that my little pile is ready to bring my folks here if he can locate them.

"Half the time when I'm fighting I don't realize what I'm about. It isn't until I get a good belt on the jaw that I come out of it. I want to find them and if I do I'll spend this and the other $4,000 on a little American farm.

'I'm an Amrican citizen. I came to this country when I was 16. I'm 22 now. I was a good shot and I applied at army headquarters. I told them I was 18 and I got by. I became attached to the sharp-shooting squad. Then I served as a first-class gunner in the coast artillary. I never heard of a boxing glove until then. I kept at boxing in the service. I didn't forget to be a soldier either. I was decorated while in active service in Cuba.

"I'd give the $4,000 and these bills, too, for just a letter telling me that they are alive and--' Then the soldier bent down and fumbled mysteriously with the laces on his other fighting shoe.

_____________________________________________________________

 

CLICK HERE FOR FIGHT RECORD

_____________________________________________________________

 



IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON SOLDIER BARTFIELD 
PLEASE E-MAIL ME

www.harrygreb.com