The Eggnog Riot of 1826

Gallons of smuggled liquor. A bribed sentry. Buckets of eggnog. Cadets wielding pistols and swords. Christmas revelry in the barracks! The wildest night in West Point history!

On Christmas Eve 1826, a group of cadets at the United States Military Academy decided that a ban on drinking was not going to stop them from holiday merriment. Fueled by booze, they turned their barracks into a madhouse.

In January 1827, a Court of Inquiry was ordered to determine who took part and what outrages they committed. This book presents the proceedings in full for the first time, transcribed and annotated from the handwritten original in the National Archives.

Nothing here is invented. Every ruckus and cadet excuse comes straight from the record. For fans of West Point, military history, or Christmas lore, this book is a must.

In addition to the Court of Inquiry, the book contains:
A timeline of the Eggnog Riot supported by testimonyA guide to the drinks, from eggnog to tiffAn overview of the weapons and violenceA portrait of West Point in 1826