Behind the Story: The Grand Assault and 19th Century Fencing in New York City

 Introduction

From “The Grand Assault” - An advertisement displayed at the Fencing Club.

A Grand Assault at the Park Theater

Mr. Armstrong of the Knickerbocker Fencing Club will fight a match with the latest in steam mechanicks for the art of fencing, the Schermitore a vapore, or the steam fencer. This man sized automaton was developed by the acclaimed Italian inventor Doctor Cosimo Cervello, who is the creator of the Cervello Steam Boat that was used effectively in the naval bombardment of Algiers. Dr. Cervello claims that the steam fencer, a machine of speed and precision, can defeat any opponent. It has been educated in the use of arms by Count Enrico Strattofenza, the undefeated Champion of the Italian Kingdom of Naples, who will accompany the schermitore a vapore as its manager and trainer.

They will be using the latest technology in the art of fencing, the Fioretto di pressione, or the Pressure Foil, also created by the eminent Dr. Cervello, who will attend the match on behalf of his new allegiance to the United States.

 Duels, espionage and a fencing automaton. The steampunk short story “The Grand Assault” takes place in an alternate timeline, and though historically it is circa New York City of the 1820’s (the story mentions the 1816 naval bombardment of Algiers), the depiction of the fencing resembles that of the late 19th century when the sport was practiced in numerous clubs and competed among national champions for national pride. The sword itself was beginning the transition from a martial art to a pastime for exercise, pleasure and entertainment. Being challenged to a duel was still a hazard, but most contests with the sword were challenges with blunt weapons and a demonstration of skill.

 New York City Fencing in the 1890’s

From the Century Illustrated Magazine January 1887

Fencing was popular among the fashionable society of New York City. An 1897 Article titled “Fencing Now Society’s Fad” in the New York Times tells us “Never has fencing been as popular as it is today. It is the fad of the hour among fashionable folk.” It continues “The list of fashionable young men who fence is practically endless. Every young man who has any claim to social distinction has taken a course of lessons from a maître d’armes.”

And not just among men. Fencing flourished with society women. Many magazine and newspaper articles of the late nineties covered the fad of fencing among ladies.

 

From the New York Times May 2, 1897

From Munsey's Magazine 1887

The Grand Assault and the 

Golden Age of Fencing

This was the Golden Age of Fencing, and the paramount event was the Grand Assault. A Grand Assault was a form of public entertainment that ranged from extensive exhibitions involving mounted combat and diverse weapons to public challenges between two well-known fencers. They could draw crowds of thousands of spectators and many celebrities. Mark Twain was at Gala d’escrime held at the Fencers Club in New York City, hosting visiting Italian Masters Eugenio Pini, Agesilao Greco, and Carlo Pessina.

 

From Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly 1893

The English Military Tournament of 1893

The Grand Assault could be a complex show, such as the English Military Tournament held at Madison Square Garden in 1893. This was a traveling spectacle of British soldiers, putting on a two-week affair with performances daily. Some of the unusual exhibitions included wrestling on horseback, tent pegging with the lance, demonstration of transporting heavy gun carriages at high speed, and closing with a recreation of an attack on a fortified position. One of the main features was the Balaklava Melee, “in which a dozen of her Majesty’s soldiers show their skill with singlesticks, causes much merriment in the audience daily, and not a little howling from the combatants.”

It also included a fencing challenge from Corp. Major Barker of the Grenadier Guards to Harold St. John, the professional champion fencer of America.

 French vs Italian Styles

 However, the real competitive contests were events set up with internationally known fencers facing off against each other. Often these were between the champions of France and Italy. Each nation had developed a singular style (with regional differences within the countries). And there was great argument over which style was superior on the fencing floor. While the French relied on perfect form and quick controlled movements, the Italian play was much more robust, with the stamping of feet and beating of the blades.

 The English fencer Egerton Castle agreed, writing an article called "the Story of Swordsmanship" in an 1891 edition of the British National Review.

“The Italian play, which has retained many more of the characteristics of the old rapier-fence, shows much less difference between the methods used on the pedalina, or fencing-floor, and those which can be advocated on the “field of honour.”

A French journalist wrote the following in the daily morning newspaper Le Figaro; “Above all, the purpose of fencing to Italian fencers is combat; their aim is to hit and not be hit. We, instead, admire, above all, aesthetic bouts.”

A cartoon of Italian fencing from Frank Leslie's Magazine 1893

An article in Harpers Weekly Magazine of 1894 visually contrasts the styles, with the rough and tumble Italians in an aggressive corp-a-corp, while the elegant Frenchmen engage in a classic lunge and parry.

Grand Assault Challenges

 America was a fresh market for such contests. Italian, French, German and Spanish fencing masters were coming to America to teach, eager to prove their methods were superior to all others.

Professor Agiselao Greco

Example of such contests was the noted Fencing Master and champion from Italy, Professor Agiselao Greco, who arrived to America to challenge all comers. A New York Times article of November 28, 1893 had a list of challenges that included:

• An advance of 30 points on 100 by sword and saber
• $10,000 dollars for anyone who could touch him on the chest with a dueling sword while he uses an academic sword (foil) for five minutes.

And in what might have been a rebuke of the courteous French style of fencing, he offers this challenge:

“I also accept the challenge of any person who, in ignoring the true art of fencing, would venture to fight me with boldness and courage, dealing haphazard strokes, and this for fifteen minutes.”

Greco might well have been able to withstand haphazard strokes, he was as much a master of exercise as fencing.

Professor Agiselao Greco

 Two notable fencing masters teaching in New York City were Regis Senac and Colonel Monstery.

  Regis Senac arrived to New York City from France. His was the classical French method, learning his trade as an instructor of fencing in the French army. He came to the United States in 1872 and opened his fencing school in New York City in 1874. Senac was noted for fighting three successful duels while in France, and he continued his contentious ways in New York City. The fencing master sent or accepted challenges to several of the other masters such as Nicolas, Tronchet and Jacobi. One of the most celebrated contests of the period was between himself and the brash Colonel Monstery.

 

Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery was another fencing master that planted his foil in New York City for a short time after touring through Mexico and Cuba challenging local fencing masters. Of Danish descent, he had travelled the world as a fencing master, soldier and duelist. He continued his challenges in New York, setting up various contests and Grand Assaults and writing articles on self-defense, boxing and singlestick. Among his notable students was the swordswoman Ella Hattan, known as the Jaguarina, who fought matches against men on horseback and with broadsword.

Illustrated Sporting News 1876

 The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News published an account of the duel between Monstery and Senac in 1876 called “Champion at Arms of the United States and Spanish America”.

“On Monday evening, April 10, Colonel Monstery and Regis Senac met at Tammany Hall, New York, to compete for a stake of 500 dols. and the title of champion-at-arms of the United States and Spanish America. The match was the result of an open challenge issued by Colonel Monstery, and promptly accepted by M. Senac.”

The two fencing masters fought matches with foils, sabers, rapiers, bayonets and knives. It apparently was a lively and controversial affair, with arguments from the contestants, judges and the audience over hits and touches, so that eventually Monstery abandoned the contest and the referee declared Senac the winner.

 Senac followed up with an open challenge with various fencing weapons: Chalk for the foil and dueling sword, saber, rapier, bayonet and royal cane.

Albert Vaughn took up the challenge, but, as happened more than once, stormed off during one of the bouts, leaving M. Senac the victor. This may lead one to believe Senac was a somewhat irascible opponent.

Still, he remained a respected member of the New York Fencing society. In 1886 he was invited to referee a contest at a tournament in aid of the Italian Benevolent Society, as well as an exhibition with one of the champions of Italy, and it seemed no one stormed out.

 Senac did not avoid controversy for long. Louis Tronchet of France came to America to challenge him through a letter of introduction by a fencer named Professor Austin. Disagreements ensued over the nature of the challenge, and the supposed deposits of cash that Austin demanded to authorize the match. Senac laughed at this and said in a New York Times article published March 4, 1887:

“I deposit $100 when he says – Ha! Ha! It is too good! It is magnificent! Look here. I will put up my $500 with the referee on the very day that he is named. I have it ready. It is in my pocket now. I replied to his challenge through the papers, and that is quite sufficient.”

Apparently M. Senac saw the need to carry challenge money in his pocket.

Tronchet finally got his opportunity to challenge Senac for the championship of America, defeating Senac in a close struggle. The match was described in an 1887 edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper as “one of the finest displays of combined agility and art ever witnessed in this city.”

 

Finale

While not reaching the popularity of some other sports, fencing still had strong support among the elite of New York City as an all-round exercise for building both body and character that still rings true today. As Richard B. Malchien stated in the 1893 issue of Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly “And now, after reading the foregoing, one may naturally question, ‘But of what use is the practice of fencing nowadays?’ Well, there are various reasons, and the principal one is exercise, combined with a fascinating game that can be played at by young and old, weak and strong, male and female. If you would gain health and keep it, or are desirous of cultivating a chivalrous disposition, readiness in action, thorough elasticity and freedom of movement, with a perfect command over all the muscles of the body, then learn to fence.”

 Find the Grand Assault in the “Gears, Ghouls and Gauges: A Steampunk Anthology” available on Amazon in paperback https://rb.gy/r61y7m and kindle editions https://rb.gy/yyypst.