Joe Biden‘s pardoned a bunch of parents throughout his presidency, and because it seems — certainly one of his personal ancestors was granted mercy by none apart from Abraham Lincoln manner again when.
WaPo dug up previous paperwork within the Nationwide Archives which present that POTUS’s great-great-grandfather, Moses J. Robinette, obtained a pardon by Trustworthy Abe again within the mid-1860s … this after he received right into a struggle with a fellow Union Military employee that landed him in jail.
Here is what occurred, per historical historical past … Moses was working as a civilian veterinary surgeon for the U.S. Military through the Civil Battle — and whereas he was stationed on the Military of the Potomac’s winter camp in Spring 1864, he received right into a brawl with one other fella.
Lengthy story quick … John J. Alexander — a brigade wagon grasp — apparently overheard Joe’s grandad speaking s*** about him to the feminine cook dinner in one of many tents, and he confronted him on the spot — which led to an argument and finally a scuffle.
Throughout the struggle, Moses was accused of pulling his pocketknife and stabbing John — as he was left bleeding from a number of cuts within the aftermath. Quickly, authorities arrived to examine in.
Moses ended up getting charged with tried homicide — however through the trial … that cost ended up being dropped — though he was convicted on different costs, together with assault, “inciting a dangerous quarrel” and “violating good order and military discipline.”
A transcript of his trial quotes Moses as saying … “[W]hatever I have done was done in self defence, that I had no malice towards Mr. Alexander before or since. He grabbed me and possibly might have injured me seriously had I not resorted to the means that I did.”
He ended up getting convicted on all counts — minus the tried homicide — and he was sentenced to 2 years incarceration at arduous labor. As soon as they lastly found out the place to ship him, Moses was shipped to the Dry Tortugas islands close to Key West, FL.
As soon as he was there, different military officers who knew Moses wrote a letter in his protection — and that labored its manner up the channels and finally landed on Lincoln’s desk. He reviewed the case and determined Moses’ punishment was manner too harsh … and pardoned him.
Moses was solely on the jail for a month or so earlier than he was freed and introduced house.
