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(AP Photo via the Smithsonian Institution)
For many years a story circulated that there was engraving on the inside of Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch. Supposedly, no one but the watchmaker knew it.
As the story goes, according to an Associated Press report, "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."
In 1906, Dillon shared his story with a New York Times reporter. At the time, Dillon was 84 and couldn't remember exactly what he had engraved inside the watch.
Recently, a descendant of Dillon's, Doug Stiles, who had heard the story from a great uncle. went looking for the 1906 news article on Google. Once he found it, he alerted the Smithsonian about the story.
The Smithsonian decided to see if the story was true. So today, watchmaker George Thomas, who volunteers at the museum, opened the watch. After the watch was opened, Thomas called Stiles up to read the engraving. There were two parts. According to the report the inscription reads:
Jonathan Dillon April 13 - 1861 Fort Sumpter (sic) was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government.
For more on this story, read:
Museum reveals engraving hidden in Lincoln watch
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