Museum reveals engraving hidden in Lincoln watch

[SpookyCat]

Ok...I'm a history nerd and I love Lincoln, so I thought this was pretty cool. And on the heels of finding a pic of him in front of the White House!

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For nearly 150 years, a story has circulated about a hidden Civil War message engraved inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch. On Tuesday, museum curators confirmed it was true. A watchmaker used tiny tools to carefully pry open the antique watch at the National Museum of American History, and a descendant of the engraver read aloud the message from a metal plate underneath the watch face.

"April 13 - 1861," the first line reads, "Fort Sumpter (sic) was attacked by the rebels on the above date. J Dillon." The second part repeats same date, states the location as Washington and says, "Thank God we have a government."

Jonathan Dillon, then a watchmaker on Pennsylvania Avenue, had Lincoln's watch in his hands when he heard the first shots of the Civil War had been fired in South Carolina. The Irish immigrant later recalled being the only Union sympathizer working at the shop in a divided Washington.

Dillon's story was passed down among his family and friends, eventually reaching a New York Times reporter. In a 1906 article in the paper, an 84-year-old Dillon said no one, including Lincoln, ever saw the inscription as far as he knew.


More at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/10/national/a094219D71.DTL&tsp=1

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. That is really interesting

sort of like US Grant VI looking at the back of the photograph and seeing the inscription "Abraham Lincoln in front of the White House."

[SpookyCat]

4. Can you imagine? His heart must've skipped!

[Captain Hilts]

2. Very cool! I LOVE stuff like that! nt

[SpookyCat]

3. Oh, me too Captain.

I love thumbing through old photos in antique shops or what have you, of just "regular" folks, and imagining what happened there? What did the people do right after the photo was taken? What's going through that guys mind right now? I can do that for hours!

I wish I could find a way to get paid for that, and then I'd be in heaven! :-)

[Captain Hilts]

6. I'll bet you use a magnifying glass as I do.

LOVE Goth Kitty!

[aquart]

5. wow wow wow.

[gratuitous]

7. Watchmakers also found a Junior Mint inside the watch

But it was unclear if this was one of the President's or if it had been slipped in there by his son.

[WI_DEM]

8. Truly interesting, thanks for posting.