George F. Robinson
American soldier
George Foster Robinson (August 13, 1832 – August 16, 1907) was a soldier of the United States Army and the attendant of Secretary of State William H. Seward who was best known for his role in foiling the assassination attempt of William Seward by Lewis Powell for which he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1871.
Robinson joined the 8th Maine Infantry in August 1863, and was serving as an attendant to Seward while recovering from battlefield wounds. He was honorably discharged in May 1865 but returned to the Army as a major in June 1879, and was retired in August 1896 after serving for 20 years.
Life
George F. Robinson was born to Isaac Watts Robinson and Deborah Thomas in Hartford, Maine, in 1832. Robinson was enlisted, in Company B, 8th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
He was wounded on 20 May 1864 at the Battle of Ware Bottom Church in Virginia and was honorably discharged from 8th Infantry Regiment Maine on 17 May 1865. But he returned to the Army as a major in 1879, and served till his retirement in 1896.
Robinson died of pneumonia at age 75 on August 16, 1907, in Pomona, California. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Assassination attempt of William Seward
John Wilkes Booth had originally planned to kidnap Lincoln, and recruited conspirators, including Lewis Powell. When Booth decided to kill Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Seward in order to create chaos in the federal government and possibly save the South, Powell was assigned the task of killing Seward.
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