Newly uncovered documents from the National Archives reveal that President Joe Biden’s great-great-grandfather was pardoned by none other than President Abraham Lincoln. The incident, dating back to the Civil War on March 12, 1864, involved Moses J. Robinette, a civilian employee of the Union Army, according to an investigation by The Washington Post.
The incident leading to the pardon occurred near Beverly Ford, Virginia, along the Rappahannock River, where Robinette and another Union Army civilian, John J. Alexander, got into a physical fight that resulted in Alexander suffering knife wounds. Robinette was subsequently charged with attempted murder and incarcerated near Florida.
In a bid to secure Robinette’s release, three U.S. Army officers, described as friends of Robinette, directly appealed to President Lincoln. They presented the case as an act of self-defense, highlighting Robinette’s role as a staunch Union supporter and a devoted family man, pleading for mercy on behalf of his “motherless Daughters and sons.”
Their petition, emphasizing Robinette’s loyalty to the Union and his disproportionate punishment, first passed through the hands of West Virginia Senator Waitman T. Willey. Senator Willey endorsed the plea and forwarded it to the White House for Lincoln’s consideration. Upon review, Lincoln granted the pardon, noting, “Pardon for unexecuted part of punishment. A. Lincoln. Sep. 1. 1864.”
This act of clemency allowed Moses J. Robinette to return to his family, where he lived until 1903.
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