The recently unearthed court-martial records from the U.S. National Archives shed light on an intriguing historical connection between President Biden’s great-great-grandfather and Abraham Lincoln, as reported by the Washington Post.
The documents detail a late-night brawl during the Civil War era involving Moses J. Robinette, President Biden’s ancestor, and fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander on March 21, 1864.
The altercation occurred in the Army of the Potomac’s winter camp in Virginia when Alexander overheard remarks made by Robinette to a cook and confronted him.
The confrontation escalated into a scuffle, during which Robinette drew his pocketknife, inflicting cuts on Alexander before others intervened, according to the records.
Biden and Abraham Lincoln (Credits: NDTV)
Robinette, a 42-year-old veterinary surgeon hired by the Army, maintained that he acted in self-defense, fearing serious injury from Alexander, who was physically stronger. However, military judges convicted Robinette of attempted murder and sentenced him to two years of hard labor.
Following the conviction, three Army officers petitioned President Lincoln to review the case, citing the disproportionate sentence and Robinette’s self-defense claim. Lincoln ultimately agreed and signed a pardon on September 1 of the same year, overturning Robinette’s conviction.
Historian David J. Gerleman, in his article for the Washington Post, describes the discovery of these records as a revelation that waited 160 years to be told.
The trial transcript, consisting of 22 well-preserved pages tucked among numerous other court-martial cases, unveils a hidden connection between the two men and bridges the gap between two presidents across centuries.
