Today in History: The Eggnog Riot!

On this day (December 25) in 1826 the notorious Eggnog Riot began at the United States Military Academy at West Point. (And no, you can’t make these things up.) Several cadets, drunk on spiked eggnog, got rowdy in the North Barracks and resisted continued efforts to calm them down. Property was damaged and a couple of assaults occurred. Weapons were brandished and fired. The rowdiness was termed a “mutiny” by the head of the school and eventually included between fifty and ninety cadets having way too good a time.

Things got even more confused when several cadets believed they had received orders to police the North Barracks which led to fights with other drunken cadets. All in all $168.83 (roughly $3,500 today) worth of property damage was committed. 22 cadets were arrested and tried over the riot. One of their judges was a faculty member involved in policing the riot which seems strange as he should have been a witness not a judge. The Secretary of War and President Monroe had to review the sentences which included twenty courts martial with most of the students found guilty and expelled.