Museum reveals engraving hidden in Lincoln watch

Museum reveals engraving hidden in Lincoln watch

www.examiner.com

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - 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.

(visit the link for the full news article)

For many generations the story of a message secretly engraved in Lincoln's pocket watch was circulated in the family of watchmaker Jonathan Dillon. Dillon's great-great-grandson, Doug Stiles, was present when the watch was recently carefully opened at the National Museum of American history (part of the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. I believe). To their surprise, they found the legendary graffiti.

It appears to me that the engraving was a message to Abraham Lincoln, but Lincoln apparently didn't know anything about it. It may simply have been the emotion of the moment that inspired Dillon.

Abraham Lincoln fans, this is an interesting discovery.

www.examiner.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 10-3-2009 by Sestias]