A recent revelation has surfaced linking President Biden's family history to a Civil War-era event, where Abraham Lincoln pardoned his great-great-grandfather, Moses J. Robinette, after a late-night brawl. The details of the incident, recorded in court-martial documents found in the U.S. National Archives and reported by the Washington Post, shed light on a lesser-known link between two U.S. presidents across the centuries.

The trial of Moses J. Robinette unfolded after a scuffle with fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander in the winter camp of the Army of the Potomac in Virginia on March 21, 1864. Robinette was charged with attempted murder for drawing his pocketknife during the fight, which resulted in cuts to Alexander before others intervened. Despite the charges, Robinette claimed he acted in self-defense as Alexander rushed at him after overhearing disparaging remarks.

Three Army officers petitioned Lincoln to overturn Robinette's conviction, arguing that the sentence was excessive and that Robinette was defending himself against a physically superior opponent. Lincoln, in agreement, signed the pardon on September 1 of the same year, highlighting the compassionate side of the former president.

The newly uncovered connection not only fills in a missing piece of Biden family history but also underscores the numerous untold stories from the era of the Civil War. President Biden's full name, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., carries on the legacy of his great-grandfather, George Hamilton Robinette, making him one of 11 presidents named after their fathers, as documented by the Larimer County Genealogical Society.