1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday, everybody. Since this is the last Saturday episode 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: before Christmas, of we were looking for a classic Christmas episode, 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: and uh a lot of them are incredibly sad. Nobody 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: needs that this year, so we have instead picked one 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: that's a little more absurd. This is our decemb episode 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: on the eggnog Riot. Like its name suggests, this was 7 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: a riot over egg knock, specifically about wanting to have 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: alcohol in the eggnog, which took place at West Point 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: in eighteen Enjoy Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, 10 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tray Suvie Wilson. 12 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: So h Happy holidays, whatever you celebrate. It's no secret 13 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: that holiday celebrations often involved drinking about a bit of 14 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: spiked eggnog. I am drinking some eggnog right now, but 15 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: it is not spiked because I'm at work. However, I 16 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: did go get some just rapped during this. I am jealous, 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: but there's no Also no big surprise in mentioning that 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: when people drink, they sometimes do really foolish things, and 19 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: when they drink a lot, the foolishness can reach epic proportions. 20 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure many of our listeners have some moments where like, man, 21 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: I acted like a jerk when I had had too 22 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: much to drink. Many of us have been there. Uh 23 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: so west Point, it will seem like I'm jumping, but 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: I'm not. West Point for any listeners who may not 25 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: know what it is, is the United States Military Academy, 26 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: and it is located in West Point, New York, which 27 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: is why it is called west Point, and its roots 28 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: go right back to the founding of the United States, 29 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: as West Point was believed by George Washington to be 30 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: the key strategic spot on the North American continent in 31 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: the War for Independence, and so West Point began as 32 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: a military post, and then the Military Academy was established 33 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: are in eighteen o two by President Thomas Jefferson, and 34 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: it's the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States, 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 1: which I did not know prior to researching this. Getting 36 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: into West Point is extremely difficult, and the Academy has 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: a long history of prestige and honor. When you know 38 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: someone or you hear about someone, like a friend of 39 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: the family who says, oh my gosh, I got into 40 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: West Point or my son got into West Point. Everybody 41 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: tends to go wow. Uh, so it's a big deal. 42 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: But we today are talking about Christmas at West Point 43 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: in eighteen six in an event that was exactly that 44 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: was not exactly what you would call honorable, and it 45 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: would not make you go wow being impressed. It would 46 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: make you go wow, I can't believe that happened. Uh. 47 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: And that is the eggnog riot. I had never heard 48 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: of this until someone asked us to talk about it recently, 49 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,399 Speaker 1: and I passed it your away because my Christmas episode 50 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: was already spoken for. Yeah, and I'm so glad you did. 51 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: I had heard the phrase, but I never knew what 52 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: it was about. So I got some good learning in 53 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: and it's a fairly entertaining story. So first we're going 54 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: to start with just a little background about eggnog. It's 55 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: not clear exactly when eggnog was invented. It's likely predecessor 56 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: was this hot milky ale called posset that was popular 57 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: in medieval Britain. Monks had started adding eggs and figs 58 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: to their posset by the thirteenth century, but it wasn't 59 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: until the seventeen hundreds that eggnog really surged in popularity 60 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: and became tied to holiday celebrations, so it was being 61 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: consumed by people, uh, you know, for many centuries at 62 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: that point. But part of the reason that it was 63 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: not this hugely um popular drink that everyone had at 64 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: the holidays was because ingredients like milk and eggs and 65 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: sherry had been luxury items up to that point. But 66 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: in the American colonies, many people had access to cows 67 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: and chickens thanks to the many farms in the colonies, 68 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: and there was a available rum that was cheaper, and 69 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: so the average person could suddenly enjoy eggnog, and the 70 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: colonies loved it, just like I do. I get excited 71 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: about egg nog every year. So yeah, I get excited 72 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: about eggnog flavored things the way that I get excited 73 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: about pumpkin flavored things. I am one of those pumpkin jerks. 74 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: But I also really really love eggnog. Yeah, Patrick hates it, 75 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: which means it is all for me. George Washington even 76 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: made his own recipe for eggnog, which included multiple alcoholic 77 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 1: ingredients including brandy, rye whiskey, Jamaica rum, and sherry. In short, 78 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: this is a total booze bomb. Yeah, you can actually 79 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: find that recipe online. But there's a trick to it, 80 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: which is it the way he wrote it. He didn't 81 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: include how many eggs you were supposed to use, so 82 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 1: even at the time people that were using his recipes 83 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: were kind of guessing. Um. But basically you would be 84 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: drunk as a skunk if if you drink it, no 85 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: matter how many eggs you included, because it has a 86 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: lot about call in him and so as a beverage 87 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: enjoyed and endorsed by the founding fathers, eggnog really became 88 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: a vital part of any holiday celebration in the United 89 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: States at that point. So let's detour back over to 90 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: West Point. The superintendent of West Point in eighteen six 91 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: was Colonel Sylvanus There he actually served as superintendent from 92 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: eighteen seventeen to eighteen thirty three, and he's often called 93 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: the father of the Military Academy. Was under his leadership 94 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: that the academic standards for the school were significantly upgraded 95 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: and codified. He also set rigorous criteria for military discipline 96 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: and conduct. Yes, so prior to his tenure as leader 97 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: of the school, it was not quite as uh, sort 98 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: of you know, standardized it. I read one historical account 99 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: that said, like, you know, it was really sort of 100 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: laughable to consider it an actual learning institution or military academy. 101 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: It just it was kind of a rough and rowdy 102 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: collection of sort of like we're gathering people together and 103 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: we're teaching them as well as we can. But Undersayer, 104 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: it really just became like a Swiss clock of you know, 105 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: good standards scheduling. He handled everything, like everyone that worked there, 106 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: he hired them. Every student that it would have admitted, 107 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: he chose them. And he really really had these very 108 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: very high standards. And one of the major contributions that 109 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: he made to the school, in addition to pretty much 110 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: setting it up as an actual institution, and he really 111 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: the whole country kind of owes him a debt for 112 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: this contribution, was that he set up this curriculum with 113 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: engineering at its core. So for much of the nineteenth century, 114 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: the vast majority of engineers that were building the infrastructure 115 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: of the U. S. Transportation system came from West Point. 116 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: So if you were on a road, if you crossed 117 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: a bridge, if you travel by train, probably the people 118 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: that designed and built those things were West Point graduates. 119 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: And that is all thanks to Thayer's recognition that a 120 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: fledgling country really needed engineers if it was going to 121 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: actually sustain itself and develop long term Any biography or 122 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: a description of their notes that he had an intense 123 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: focus on standards and excellence. He made the school into 124 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: a meritocracy that was based on performance and throughout any 125 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: benefit to being from a privileged family. When his nephew 126 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: was admitted to the school, he made the voice sign 127 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: a letter of resignation that they are kept in his possession, 128 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: so the event of a single infraction, the younger man 129 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: would immediately be removed from the school. Yeah, he wanted 130 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: there to be no, uh, no way that anybody could 131 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: point to him or his nephew and say that like 132 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: there had been unfair partial treatment. He really was all 133 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: about sort of everybody comes in as an equal, everybody 134 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: behaves as an equal. I don't care if you're rich 135 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: or poor. I care about how smart and dedicated you are. 136 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,559 Speaker 1: Just really kind of a very new way of thinking 137 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: at the time. We should probably point out that everyone here, 138 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: like the school was not integrated or anything, so everyone 139 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: was kind of I just don't want to make it 140 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: sound as though we are unaware of that aspect that 141 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: like everyone still had limits. Oh yes, of course his 142 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: is mostly like in terms of class level. You know, 143 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: rich kids were not going to get treated any better 144 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: or have any better chances than children than boys that 145 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: had come from families that were less privileged. But we're 146 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: just as smart and willing to work. It's hard. So 147 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: that was his thing. Uh, And up to this point 148 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: in us m a's brief history, it had really become 149 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: a tradition over the holidays for cadets to unwind a bit. 150 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: Life as a student at the academy was rigorous, it 151 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: was even grueling at times, and so as a much 152 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: needed break from all of that discipline, homemade eggnog, which 153 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: was of course spiked, had become the drink of choice 154 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: among the cadets to celebrate Christmas. Colonel Thair was not 155 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: okay with this. The superintendent is sometimes described as leading 156 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: with an almost monk like existence because he was so 157 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: dedicated to a life of honor and living up to 158 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 1: the standards he set for himself as well as the cadets. 159 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: So the idea of holiday drunkenness did not mesh with 160 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: his vision of how disciplined cadets should behave. So he 161 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: instituted a rule that no cadet could purchase, store, or 162 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: consume alcohol of any kind. Yeah, that didn't go over 163 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: so well. You can imagine how well a rule like 164 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: that would be received. Uh, Plenty of the young men 165 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: at West Point flouted the rule on the down low. 166 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: I think we're just like, that's fine, he can say 167 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,599 Speaker 1: that all he wants. We're still going to drink at Christmas. 168 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: But a few cadets that were really sort of bristling 169 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: at the idea that he would go so far as 170 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: to make a regulation that would bar spirits from a 171 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: holiday celebration made it their personal mission to throw the 172 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: biggest holiday party the school had ever seen. And when 173 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 1: we say biggest, what we really mean is the most 174 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: alcohol filled. And before we get to sort of how 175 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: that played out, do you want to have a word 176 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: from a sponsor. Let's do several nights before the Christmas 177 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: Eve party, three different students together across the Hudson River 178 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,839 Speaker 1: to visit Martin's Tavern, which was located on the east bank, 179 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: and there were other taverns closer to the school, but 180 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: they were not going to be able to provide the 181 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: amount of liquor that the cadets were planning to a 182 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: mass for their revelry at a price that the students 183 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: could also afford. And so after having a few drinks 184 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: at Martin's tavern, the cadets took several gallons of whiskey 185 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: that they had procured and they headed back to the academy. 186 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: When they reached the dock at the Academy after crossing 187 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: back over the river, they ran into a little obstacle 188 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: which was a guard, and the guard was an enlisted 189 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: man who was standing on the dock. This was kind 190 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: of a minor obstacle because the guard was willing to 191 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: look the other way for a thirty five cent ribe. 192 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: And once the cadets reached the barracks, they stowed their 193 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: illicit alcohol in their bunks with their more mundane personal effects. 194 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: They kind of carefully disguised it as just among with 195 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: everything else there. Knew that the cadets were likely to 196 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: try to smuggle in alcohol into the barracks because it 197 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: had happened before, and he was not a fool, so 198 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: he assigned Captain Ethan Alan Hitchcock and Lieutenant William A. 199 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: Thornton to the north barracks to keep to keep an 200 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: eye on things on Christmas Eve and uh. Initially, the 201 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: evening was relatively quiet, so the two officers went to 202 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: bed around midnight, thinking that there nothing was going to happen. 203 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: But several hours later, Captain Hitchcock awoke to the sound 204 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: of several of the young men partying several floors up. 205 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: He went upstairs and he discovered a half dozen drunken cadets, 206 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: And initially he just thought he was breaking up a 207 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: minor situation, and he ordered all of the boys to 208 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,839 Speaker 1: their rooms, but before he could leave, noises in the 209 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: next room tipped him off to additional inebriated cadets. When 210 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: Hitchcock entered the next room, two drunk cadets were trying 211 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 1: to hide under a blanket and a third was hiding 212 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,199 Speaker 1: his face behind a hat. Doesn't this kind of crack 213 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: you up? Like I could so picture these drunk people 214 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 1: thinking they are somehow imperceptible under a blanket. I feel 215 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: like this is a weird Sitcom said at West Point 216 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: a long time ago. So Hitchcock confronted the hat hider 217 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: and tried to get him to reveal his identity, and 218 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: then things pretty quickly became heated. Yeah, they exchanged some words, 219 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: and Hitchcock eventually left, but the cadets that remained were 220 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: really angry at having been confronted, and and his heated 221 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: exchange with the young man hiding behind the hat just 222 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: kind of ratcheted up everybody's you're a little bit like 223 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: I think they just felt like they were being hassled, 224 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: and it appears that this is kind of in the 225 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: tone of the revelry took a turn, and eventually someone 226 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: is said to have shouted, get your dirks and bayonets 227 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: and pistols. If you have them before this night is over, 228 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: Hitchcock will be dead. That's what catalyzed the riot. Yeah, 229 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: a little drunken screeching about violence, uh so, and the 230 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: unruly party. Another one sprung up on one of the 231 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: lower floors, and Captain Hitchcock ran to break it up, 232 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: and on his way he actually encountered Jefferson Davis, who 233 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: was intoxicated in the hallway and the slash. Davis accompanied 234 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: Hitchcock into the room where this new phase of the 235 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 1: party was going on, shouting, put away the grog boys. 236 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: Captain Hitchcock's coming, But of course he was standing right 237 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: next to him. Hitchcock sent Davis back to his room 238 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: and he acquiesced, which really saved his bacon. Later on, 239 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: his cooperation kept him from being court martialed. And when 240 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: Hitchcock attempted to break down a barricaded door in another 241 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: room that where a party was erupting, another cadet tried 242 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: to shoot him, and this shooting was only thwarted by 243 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: another young man that jostled him as his pistol went off. 244 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 1: And from the accounts I read, it was unclear whether 245 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: that second man that did the jostling did so on 246 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: purpose or was just kind of having a drunken stumbling 247 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: a moment a serendipitous prevention of murder. Yes. So meanwhile, 248 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Thornton had also gotten up from his bed and 249 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: was trying to stop the various pockets of partying that 250 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: we're popping up all over the barracks, but he was 251 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: having even more trouble than Captain Hitchcock. At one point 252 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: a cadet brandished a sword at him, and another whacked 253 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: him with a piece of wood. Yeah, and these all 254 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: sound funny, but I have to like step back for 255 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: a moment and think, like, Okay, These are young men 256 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: that have been trained rigorously physically there you know, in 257 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: the prime of life in terms of their health, and 258 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: they are running around drunk, so they do not have 259 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: full control of their mental faculties. Brandishing opens at these 260 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: poor men, Like it sounds kind of funny, but I 261 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: can imagine in the moment it was terrifying. Well. And 262 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: I am also reminded of a number of blog posts 263 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: that have been circulating around the Internet rate lately of 264 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: white people rioting over stupid things. And I feel like 265 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: this is a historical example of a ridiculous riot over 266 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: something stupid. Yeah, and we wanted some boozing our ignong. 267 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: So after Captain Hitchcock's near miss with the drunken shooter, 268 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: he called for backup, and he called for the commandant 269 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: of cadets. But some of the drunken men misunderstood what 270 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: he said and they thought he was calling for their 271 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: campus rivals, which were the artillery men that were stationed 272 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: at West Point, And this set off a chain reaction 273 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: of these inebriated young men arming themselves to defend against 274 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: the bombardiers that they were convinced were coming. As they 275 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: prepared for the coming enemy They also trashed the barracks. 276 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: They broke shows and windows and tora part the furniture. 277 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: They pulled banisters away from the staircase cases. Hitchcock had 278 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: never called for the artillery men, so they never came, 279 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: but the violence and the barracks kept escalating anyway. Finally 280 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: William Worth, who was the commandant of Cadets, came to 281 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: Hitchcock's Hitchcock's call and was able to shut it down. 282 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: So even though at this point, you know, things subside 283 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: a bit, what's left is that roughly one third of 284 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: the cadets at West Point at the time, so I've 285 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: seen the number ninety out of to sixty were involved 286 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: in this booze fueled chaos where they basically destroyed their 287 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: own surroundings. Uh, some of the young men were still 288 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: drunk on Christmas morning, because remember this started well after midnight, 289 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: so it was actually technically Christmas already when it began. 290 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: And they looked a mess at this point, you know, 291 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: clothes disheveled, some of them torn. The barracks were complete 292 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: shambles and basically would have boiled down too. Is a 293 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: few gallons of whiskey had incited nearly one young men 294 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 1: to do a serious amount of damage to their academy 295 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: and their home away from home and really sort of 296 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: them the mental environment where they were as well. I'm 297 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: actually kind of just made to learn by this episode 298 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 1: or maybe have reiterated that rioting over ridiculous things, it's 299 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: not actually a new phenomenon, No, not even a little. 300 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,199 Speaker 1: And I wonder how much of that is sort of 301 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,959 Speaker 1: the expression of in this particular case, you know, if 302 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 1: they were kept to this incredibly high standard, and they 303 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: were you know, forced to be rigorously devoted to their 304 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: studies and devoted to being you know, sort of on 305 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: point at all times, if this is just sort of 306 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: like a build up of the normal rambunctiousness that people 307 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: have that's been kind of tamped down for a while, 308 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: and then you get some whiskey in the mix and 309 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: you can't hold that back anymore and it goes perserk. Yeah, 310 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:06,719 Speaker 1: there's actually some really interesting sociological, uh and psychological research 311 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: about what sparks riots that are made for, um like 312 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: combating oppression basically. Uh So when it comes to ones 313 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: that are just about drunkenness, I don't know, Yeah, it's 314 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: I'm like it might be uh unfair is not the 315 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: right word. I Mostly I'm like, guys, there's no excuse 316 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: for that behavior when when your reason is that they 317 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: told you you couldn't have alcohol in your agnog. Yeah. 318 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: But there's that thing that happens right when you're drunk 319 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 1: and a small mob forms, it quickly becomes a large mob, 320 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: and then just there's not really much logical thought going on. 321 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: It's just kind of like violence and everyone like a rocket, 322 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: like you, just people just get swept up in that 323 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: that weird wave of intensity. But before we talk about 324 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: sort of what happened after all of these young men 325 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: lost their minds while they were drunk, do you want 326 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: to have a word from a sponsor? Sure, So to 327 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 1: get back to what happened after this ridiculous riot was over, 328 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: Colonel There gathered the Academy staff together to discuss the matter, 329 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: and eventually two orders were issued by Major General Alexander Makeum, 330 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: who was the Chief Engineer of the Army and Inspector 331 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: of the Academy. So, following the riot, Order number named 332 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,199 Speaker 1: twenty two cadets who were placed on immediate restriction, and 333 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: Order number forty nine opened a Court of inquiry into 334 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: the riot and the events surrounding it. The goal was 335 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: to identify the key players who led the riot. Yeah, 336 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: they were trying to be fair and understanding that like, yes, 337 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: there were nine young men involved, but surely there were 338 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: ringleaders and those are the ones we're going to go 339 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: after her. And these inquiries took several weeks to investigate 340 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: just what had happened during the cadets Christmas festivities, and 341 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: eventually nineteen cadets and one soldier were courts martialed for 342 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,719 Speaker 1: their involvement in the mob that caused all the problems. 343 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: The trials began a month after the Shenanigans on January 344 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: eighteen seven. Those nineteen Cadets were William E. A. Squid, 345 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: Benjamin G. Humphreys, Walter B. Guillon, James W. M. Barrion 346 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: Fayette Norville, David M. Fairley, George E. Bomford, James L. Thompson, 347 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 1: Hugh W. Mercer, Benjamin F. Guard, Thomas Swords Jr. Richard B. Screvin, 348 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: Bill Fitzgerald, John C. Stucker, T. M. Lewis, William R. Burnley, 349 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: Samuel Roberts and Anthony Johnson, and William D. C. Murdoch. 350 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: And at this point, as they faced uh, this tribunal 351 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: that had assembled to try them. These cadets were basically 352 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: defending themselves to preserve their futures. If they were not 353 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: going to be able to effectively plead their cases, their 354 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: time at West Point would end really abruptly. And at 355 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: that point their future was to become military men. So 356 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: it really was the stakes were quite high, uh for 357 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: what was going to happen to them based on this 358 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: one night of really stupid behavior. And fellow cadets with 359 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: some now famous names came forward in support of the 360 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: cadets that were on trial while they testified, including Robert 361 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: Elie and as we mentioned before, Jefferson Davis. The proceedings 362 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: concluded on March eight of eight cadets, as with Mercer Swords, 363 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: Murdoch's Screvin, Norville Thompson and Guard were all allowed to 364 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: remain at West Point, although Norvill, Murdoch and Guard eventually left, 365 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: the rest of the young men were dismissed and we're 366 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: no longer welcome at the academy. And just as a 367 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: side note about Jefferson Davis, so he there are many 368 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,120 Speaker 1: incidents of so seated with drunkenness on record for him 369 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: during his time at West Point. He apparently really liked 370 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: a party, and as we mentioned earlier, he was not 371 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: charged over the Eggnog Riot, though he got into plenty 372 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: of other troublesome little exploits when he was inebriated. The 373 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: North Barracks, as they were during the Eggnog Riot, no 374 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,479 Speaker 1: longer exist. When the school built new barracks on campus 375 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: in eighteen forties. The new structures were made with no 376 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: interior floor to floor access and short hallways as a 377 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: form of crowd control to prevent a similar scenario where 378 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:37,360 Speaker 1: Roality cadets could manage another riot. The barracks that were 379 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: built in eighteen forties are also long gone, and there's 380 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: also no longer a holiday celebration at West Point. So 381 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: while the Eggnog Riot had lasting ramifications in the eighteen hundreds, 382 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: it seems to have been largely forgotten as part of 383 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: the school's lore. I definitely had never heard of it 384 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: before um, and that was even after Like a Heavy 385 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: Star last year for ideas of Christmas related topics to do. 386 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: When Smithsonian writer Natasha Guiling interviewed West Points Command historian 387 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: Sherman Fleak about the eighteen six Christmas episode, she was told, quote, 388 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: hardly anyone knows about it. If pooled among four thousand, 389 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: four hundred cadets, three thousand federal employees, military staff and 390 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: faculty hid out thirty people will know a thing about 391 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 1: it until now. Yeah, it's kind of, um, you know, 392 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: it's an entertaining story. It's certainly one of those things 393 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: that you can't I can't help, I'll admit, kind of 394 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: like signing and being like you idiots. Yeah, I'm like, 395 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: go to your room, guys. That's how I feel about it. 396 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,439 Speaker 1: Go to your room. I love it. Uh. Yes, So 397 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: that's the egg Non riot, which did you know, significantly 398 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: change the trajectory of the lives of the young men 399 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 1: that were dismissed from West Point as consequence of their behavior. Uh, 400 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: but it is. It's one of those things where even 401 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: when I, uh, the few articles that I found about it, 402 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 1: they all kind of sum it up is like, this 403 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: is a good life lesson to not get too drunk 404 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: at a Christmas party, And I'm like, well, it's kind 405 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 1: of bigger than that. But yeah, I definitely feel like 406 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: it belongs in the same blog posts as like the 407 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: pumpkin riot that just happened This year and the riots 408 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: over various sports teams winning games, are losing games or 409 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: not actually playing their games or whatever. Like I feel 410 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 1: like it's that caliber of foolishness. Yeah, so that's a scoop. 411 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: Thany so much for joining us on this Saturday. Since 412 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: this episode is out of the archive, if you heard 413 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: an email address or a Facebook U r L or 414 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: something similar over the course of the show, that could 415 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: be obsolete. Now. Our current email address is History podcast 416 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: at i heart radio dot com. 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