Newly discovered records have unveiled that President Joe Biden’s great-great grandfather was freed from a southern island prison during the Civil War with the help of a compassionate senator and a pardon from Abraham Lincoln.
Moses J. Robinette, a relative of Biden on his father’s side, was raised in western Maryland and was employed by the Army as a veterinary surgeon in 1862 or 1863, even though he did not have formal training in the field, as revealed in recently discovered documents from the National Archives, as reported by scholar David Gerleman in the Washington Post.
His credentials for the position were described as ‘unstated,’ according to Gerleman’s account, which was not uncommon at a time when the US had few veterinary schools.
The position involves accompanying Biden’s family member to an Army encampment in Virginia, where a confrontation with another civilian military worker results in imprisonment following a military court martial.
Robinette, whose last name matches the president’s middle name, seems to have been on a winning streak and may enjoy alcohol (The president has openly expressed his frustration towards various individuals, from a special counsel to Donald Trump, and abstains from drinking).
Biden’s Ancestor: Union Supporter’s Violent Clash in Civil War
Robinette supported the Union, even though she lived and worked in Maryland and Virginia where loyalties were divided before the Civil War.
Historical records that still exist recount a confrontation where a Brigade wagon commander named John J. Alexander overheard Robinette talking about him to the female cook and immediately went to confront him in the mess shanty.
Emotions ran high, strong language was used, and Robinette pulled out his pocket knife. According to Gerleman, Alexander was left bleeding from multiple cuts after a quick scuffle before camp watchmen showed up to apprehend Robinette.
The incident led to the future president’s distant relative being confined at a military prison in Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas islands off the coast of present-day Florida.
The president’s relative faced charges for starting a violent altercation while under the influence and using a knife with intent to harm.
He successfully fought off the later charge during his military trial, but was found guilty of the others.
