President Lincoln put aside the Civil War in 1863 to write an official reprieve for a prisoner named Jack. Jack was not a Confederate soldier or a spy, but a Christmas turkey sent to the White House for the family dinner. Young Tad Lincoln had claimed the bird as a pet and named him Jack. The boy fed the turkey, played with him, and even led him around the White House grounds on a string like a dog. The White House cook was not amused and prepared to kill the bird for the holiday meal. Tad was devastated and ran to his father in the middle of a meeting to beg for Jack's life. The President looked at his son and decided that mercy was the best course of action. He wrote out an official order on a card sparing the life of the turkey. Jack the turkey survived the war and continued to roam the White House grounds as a family pet for years. While the modern ceremony of pardoning a turkey didn't become official until 1989, this father's act of kindness was the very first recorded instance of a President sparing a holiday bird. Sources: White House Historical Association, Smithsonian