The President Pardoned that Turkey?

In 1861 President Lincoln received a live turkey to be used for Christmas dinner. His then 8 year old son Tad soon became attached to the turkey and begged his father not to kill the bird. Lincoln being a rather indulgent father, especially for that time, not only let the boy keep the bird, (that was given the name Jack, and became a family pet.) but issued the turkey a presidential pardon. This started the custom of the president pardoning one turkey a year that continues to this day. With it now being before Thanksgiving that the bird is pardoned. (There was no Thanksgiving then. Lincoln didn’t start a national Thanksgiving until 1863.)