Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry presents eggnog tales from throughout America’s history – including the West Point Eggnog Riot of 1826. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

’Tis the season for eggnog… and here is some spirited skinny on the drink.

A bar bill from 1765 in the town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, citing bowls of “Punch and Egg Toddy” at Captain William Davenport’s Wolfe Tavern, shows that the Sons of Liberty stayed up all night complaining about the Stamp Act and consuming vast quantities of alcohol.

One newspaper in 1788 cites an interesting fact about the enormous girth of an eggnog lover.

This notice reads:

A gentleman, lately on a visit here, measured five feet seven inches in circumference – his chief and favorite drink is – Egg Toddy!

George Washington loved eggnog laced with many liquors. You can view his recipe at the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

On Christmas Day in 1815, dignitaries in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in Belgium), greeted news of the signing of a peace treaty to end the War of 1812 with eggnog.

This article reports:

Mr. [John Payne] Todd, one of the secretaries, and [stepson] of Mr. [President James] Madison, had invited some gentlemen of his country and some others, to partake with him of a liquor with which the Americans used to treat their friends on Christmas Day, and which is called eggnog. At noon, while they were waiting for the eggnog, engaged in pleasant conversation, suddenly the American beverage made its appearance, and Mr. Todd said – “It is 12 o’clock; well, gentlemen, I announce to you that peace has been made and signed between America and England.” Very soon, Messrs. James Gallatin, Carroll, Hughes, and his excellency Mr. Clay entered and confirmed the news. The writer of this considers it one of the most pleasant moments of his life, in having been a witness of the bursts of joy to which this event gave rise. In a few minutes the exchange of the whole city were informed of it.

My article “Anecdotes of Christmas Past” notes that Phoebe Yates Pember, of the Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, spread cheer to the troops in 1863 as she and the staff furnished 24 gallons of eggnog to the troops.

When prohibition was put into effect in Las Vegas just shy of the Christmas holiday in 1919, Sheriff Sam Gay and Judge Henry Lillies conspired against the temperance scrooges – and “Christmas Spirits Ran High in Las Vegas” with plenty of spiked eggnog.

West Point Eggnog Riot of 1826

The most rambunctious and knotty event involving eggnog was recorded by W. L. Fleming in Metropolitan Magazine and reprinted in several newspapers.

It was known as the West Point Eggnog Riot of 1826. It happened during the cadetship of future Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

While there are variations on how the mischief went down, here is Fleming’s version as published in the Irish American Weekly.

This article reports:

Closely connected with Benny Havens’ [West Point tavern keeper] was the great cadet riot of Christmas 1826, in the middle of Jefferson Davis’ third year.

[Below is the historic marker for Benny Havens’ tavern, which Davis was known to frequent with the boys. The inscription reads:

“Originally located on Homestead Avenue, later moved to the banks of the Hudson.

Generations of West Point cadets enjoyed the congenial atmosphere at the off-limits tavern run by Benny Havens. Here they could relax, unwind and spend some time away from the demands of the Academy. Benny was memorialized in the legendary song “Benny Havens ‘O.”

Sponsored by: Seth Hudgins – Class of ’64; Gus Fishburn – Class of ’62; Ron Salvatore – Class of ’64 (H); Don Sagaria; and the Local Development Corporation, 2006.”]

Before Christmas it was rumored through the barracks that Davis and other Southern and Southwestern cadets were going to explain to the other members of the corps the mysteries of eggnog. Cadets Davis, Tilghman, and Temple were to get the necessaries from Benny’s, but it seems that something prevented, and others had to get the materials. The authorities were suspicious and ordered the inspectors to stay up all night to keep order. This angered the cadets, and the preparations for the eggnog went on.  In the dark of the morning of Dec. 25 the invitations were sent out. Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston declined [some accounts say Lee participated]. J. B. Magruder, Drayton, C. J. Wright and others accepted.

Davis was extending the invitations when he heard a rumor that Captain Hitchcock was abroad. He ran back to No. 5 north barracks, where the refreshments were collected, called out, “Put away that grog, boys; Old Hitch is coming,” and looked up to find that Hitchcock was already in the room.

[Ethan Allen Hitchcock (1798-1870) was a career United States Army officer and author; during the American Civil War he served as a major general. He is also known for his investigation of fraud perpetrated on some of the Five Tribes in Indian Territory.]

Davis was sent to his quarters under arrest, fortunately for him, for after some hilarious noise he went to sleep and did not get into the riot which then began. The instructors and officers were chased out of the halls into their own rooms and there besieged. The cadets obtained arms and organized the Helvetian league to protect themselves against the bombardiers, who, they heard, were ordered out to subdue them. Davis’ roommate, Walter B. Guion of Mississippi, was the leader of the Helvetians. He secured a pistol and tried to shoot Captain Hitchcock. Some of the officers were badly bruised with stove wood that the cadets threw at them. After an hour or two the riot wore out. Later nineteen cadets, among them Guion, were court martialed and dismissed. Davis, with others, was kept long under arrest and given demerits.

I conclude with this poem from days gone by: “Beware of the Egg-nog.”

Enjoy a little eggnog over the Holidays!

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Note on the header image: AI-generated eggnog for the festive season. Credit: Melissa Davenport Berry.