In 1826, several West Point cadets snuck alcohol onto campus to celebrate Christmas — but the so-called Eggnog Riot quickly got out of hand and 19 cadets were expelled.
Public DomainWest Point , circa 1828 .
There is such a thing as too much holiday cheer . In 1826 , an event recognise as the Eggnog Riot began at the United States Military Academy at West Point when plebe , upset by a recent alcohol ban , smuggled alcoholic beverage into their Christmas company . The festivity go around across the academy , draw more and more students into the robustious celebration .
As the dark wore on , the haphazardness attract the attention of staff members who attempt to put an end to things . Enraged by the intervention , a mathematical group of cadet armed with dirks , bayonets , and pistols fight back . The Christmas festivity speedily spiral into chaos , with the cadets vandalizing the barrack and assault their instructors .
Public DomainWest Point, circa 1828.
By Christmas morning time , the riot was quelled . But almost a third of West Point ’s 260 cadets had been demand in the so - called “ grog mutiny , ” including the succeeding president of the Confederacy , Jefferson Davis .
This is the story of the Eggnog Riot , from how it began , to what penalty the participants face , to the changes West Point made in the backwash to ensure that such a riot never happened again .
How A Ban On Alcohol Led To The ‘Grog Mutiny’ At West Point
Today , West Point is known as an honored military honorary society with notable alumni like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant . But it was a humble institution when it first opened in 1802 . It was only after the War of 1812 that Congress began to take West Point badly , and Colonel Sylvanus Thayer was charge as superintendent in 1817 in social club to better the school .
Public DomainPortrait of Sylvanus Thayer , the U.S. Military Academy superintendent at the time of the eggnog drunken revelry .
Though Thayer had allow inebriant at parties in the past , he change his tune in 1825 . The school ’s Fourth of July festivities that year had devolved into disorder , and Thayer outright censor “ any spirituous or intoxicating liquor ” on campus from that point on . That mean that Christmas 1825 and Fourth of July 1826 were alcohol - free . But West Point cadets were determined to smuggle in “ soak John Barleycorn ” for Christmas 1826 .
Public DomainPortrait of Sylvanus Thayer, the U.S. Military Academy superintendent at the time of the eggnog riot.
The West Point plebe soon devise a plan to smuggle alcohol onto campus to mix with their traditional eggnog , a popular holiday drink made of ball , Milk River , ointment , sugar , and spices .
A few 24-hour interval before Christmas , a number of cadets put their program into military action . They procured whiskey , brandy , rummy and wine-colored from various tap house in the surface area , with three cadets even row across the Hudson River to obtain several congius of whisky . The alcohol then was hidden across campus in prevision of the celebration on Christmas Day .
With their prize in hand , the cadet begin to diagram their Christmas party . The illicit festivities would start out on Christmas Eve in the North Barracks . But unluckily for the cadets , their scheme would have huge consequences .
Public DomainCaptain Ethan Allen Hitchcock, as seen decades after the Eggnog Riot of 1826.
The Eggnog Riot Spreads Across West Point
The Christmas party that would become the Eggnog Riot begin on Dec. 24 , 1826 . It lead off in Room No . 28 in the North Barracks , and presently distribute to Room No . 5 . Cadets , drawn by the promise of spiked eggnog , began to reproduce . At one point , cadet David M. Farrelly even proceed the party go by prove up with yet another gallon of whiskey .
The party eventually became loud enough to becharm the attention of faculty member Captain Ethan Allen Hitchcock . Around 4:00 a.m. on Christmas Day , Hitchcock admonished the drunk cadets of Room No . 28 — and ordered them all back to their rooms . Then , hearing noise in an adjoining bedroom , Hitchcock found three more drunken cadet — two of whom tried to hide under a blanket , and one of whom attempt to hide his face with his hat .
Public DomainCaptain Ethan Allen Hitchcock , as get wind tenner after the Eggnog Riot of 1826 .
Public DomainBefore he was president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis was a participant in the 1826 Eggnog Riot.
Enraged by Hitchcock ’s interruption , several of the cadets set out to organize their retaliation against the officeholder . “ Get your dirk and bayonets … and shooting iron if you have them . Before this night is over , Hitchcock will be dead , ” one of the cadet exclaim , according toSmithsonian cartridge clip .
Hitchcock , meanwhile , had gone back to his way to sample and go to sleep , but a series of repeated whang on his room access kept him up . The Eggnog Riot was still in cut , and when Hitchcock finally got out of seam he hear Jefferson Davis — a fuck campus troublemaker and the future presidentship of the Confederacy — heading to Room No . 5 .
unbeknown to Davis , Hitchcock was right on behind him when he abound into Room No . 5 exclaim : “ Put away the grog boys ! Captain Hitchcock ’s coming ! ”
Public DomainAn illustration of cadet life at West Point circa 1890s, decades after the Eggnog Riot.
Public DomainBefore he was president of the Confederacy , Jefferson Davis was a participant in the 1826 Eggnog Riot .
Hitchcock ordered the cadets to bed . Jefferson Davis obey , but boozy cadets elsewhere were n’t as accommodating .
Indeed , Hitchcock ’s fellow officer Lieutenant William A. Thornton had come up across his own problem . benumbed at the rootage of the Eggnog Riot , Thornton awoke to the speech sound of jollification and go to investigate . Upon leave his way , two plebe began set on him . One threatened him with a sword ; the other hit him with a board of woodwind instrument , criticize him off his feet .
With Thornton down , the angry and bibulous cadets continued on their search for Hitchcock . They eventually find him in North Barracks Room No . 8 and begin to shake off sticks of wood at his door and rock music at his windowpane . One plebe , Walter B. Guion , even shot through the door .
The Eggnog Riot was out of control . But it was about to get worse .
Hitchcock eventually called for Major William J. Worth , the Commandant of Cadets , to stay the crazed students . But the scholar thought he ’d actually send for for relief from “ bombardiers ” — the scorn even artillery humankind stationed at West Point . This caused the cadets to go into a deep frenzy .
By 6:00 am Christmas morning , however , Worth had arrive on the scene . And by the fourth dimension the reveille sounded at 6:05 a.m. , the Eggnog Riot was over , though the North Barracks were in shambles . Cadets had smash up window , torn off banisters , and destroyed plates and cups . Many of them were deeply hungover , if not still inebriated , their uniform in entire disarray .
And Sylvanus Thayer had decide what to do about it .
West Point Cadets Face A Court Martial
Public DomainAn illustration of plebe life-time at West Point circa 1890s , decades after the Eggnog Riot .
The Eggnog Riot had left over $ 5,000 in damages at West Point . The schoolhouse suffered broken windows , damaged step banister , and shattered dishware strew about . And it had hardly been confined to one way — of the 260 cadets at West Point , 90 had been call for with the Eggnog Riot at one point or another . That signify that a full third of them could face expulsion , which was not a good tone for the United States ’ premier military academy .
Instead of handing down a mantle punishment , West Point conducted an inquiry into the event in January 1827 . One hundred and sixty - seven attestant were call to prove — including a cadet mention Robert E. Lee who had not participated in the riot — and the investigation lead to courtyard - martial proceedings against 19 cadet and one soldier .
In the end , 19 plebe were discover guilty and expelled from West Point . However , eight were grant clemency and five were allowed to graduate from West Point .
In the following class , West Point destroy the original buildings , alternatively prefer for Modern figure that would make it harder for cadets to move from level to flooring . To this day , West Point maintains circumscribed holiday celebrations — ensuring that the chaos of the Eggnog Riot remain a thing of the past .
After reading about the eggnog riot , dive into the rightful tale of theChristmas Truceof 1914 , when British and German troops celebrated together during World War One . Then , view44 images of Christmas celebrationsduring the height of World War Two .
