The Hidden Link Between Abraham Lincoln and Joe Biden: A Civil War-Era Pardon

The annals of history are filled with fascinating stories, some well-known and others waiting to be discovered. One such story, which has remained hidden for over a century and a half, links two American presidents – Abraham Lincoln and Joe Biden – through an event that took place during the Civil War era. This intriguing tale, recently unearthed by historian David J. Gerleman, sheds light on an unknown piece of Biden family history and serves as a reminder of the countless Civil War stories yet to be told.

On March 21, 1864, in the Army of the Potomac’s winter camp in Virginia, a late-night brawl between two Union Army civilian employees, Moses J. Robinette and John J. Alexander, led to a court-martial trial. The documents detailing this incident, now preserved in the U.S. National Archives, reveal that Robinette was charged with attempted murder after Alexander overheard him making threatening remarks about him to a cook. The two men engaged in a physical altercation, during which Robinette drew his pocketknife, inflicting several cuts on Alexander before others intervened.

Robinette, a 42-year-old veterinary surgeon hired by the Army, claimed that he had acted in self-defense against someone “much his superior in strength and size.” However, military judges found him guilty and sentenced him to two years’ hard labor. Three Army officers, sympathetic to Robinette’s plight, petitioned President Abraham Lincoln to overturn the conviction, arguing that the sentence was unduly harsh. Lincoln, moved by their plea, granted the pardon on September 1, 1864.

The Washington Post reported on this remarkable discovery on February 19, 2024, revealing the hidden link between the two presidents. Gerleman, the historian behind this find, described the documents as “a slender sheaf of 22 well-preserved pages of his trial transcript, unobtrusively squeezed among many hundreds of other routine court-martial cases in the National Archives.” These pages, he wrote, “fill in an unknown piece of Biden family history and serve as a reminder of just how many Civil War stories have yet to be told.”

Joe Biden, whose full name is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., is one of ten other commanders in chief named after their fathers. Like his father, Biden inherited his middle name from his great-grandfather, George Hamilton Robinette. Moses Robinette, the subject of this pardon, died in 1903.

This story, which has waited 160 years to be told, offers a unique perspective on the lives of these two American presidents and the historical context in which they served. It is a testament to the richness and depth of American history and the countless stories that continue to emerge from its pages.

The pardon of Moses J. Robinette is not only an intriguing piece of Biden family history but also a reminder of the complexities and challenges of the Civil War era. It serves as a reminder of the human stories that lie beneath the historical record and the importance of preserving and sharing these stories to better understand our past and the people who shaped it.

In conclusion, the pardon of Moses J. Robinette by Abraham Lincoln is a fascinating discovery that links two American presidents across the centuries. This story, which has remained hidden for over a century and a half, offers a unique perspective on the lives of these two men and the historical context in which they served. It is a reminder of the richness and depth of American history and the countless stories that continue to emerge from its pages. As we continue to explore and learn from our past, stories like this one serve to enrich our understanding of the people and events that have shaped our nation.