Mar 11 2009Lincoln's Pocketwatch Contained Secret Message, Secret Not So Secret Anymore
Apparently a watchmaker who was repairing President Lincoln's watch on the day gunfire broke out at Fort Sumter, SC (sparking the civil war), secretly immortalized the day by engraving a note inside Lincoln's pocketwatch.
The engraving, by watchmaker Jonathan Dillon, is dated April 13, 1861, and reads in part: "Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels" and "thank God we have a government."
Forty-five years later, Dillon the watchmaker told The New York Times that he was repairing Lincoln's watch when he heard that the first shots of the Civil War had been fired.Dillon said he unscrewed the dial of the watch and used a sharp instrument to mark the historic day on the president's watch. He told the newspaper that, as far as he knew, no one had ever seen the inscription.
The National Museum of American History agreed to open the watch to see if the inscription was there after being contacted by Dillon's grandson. And lo and behold -- there she blew! Apparently Lincoln never knew about it -- probably because he was too busy chopping down cherry trees. Am I right? What do you mean, "that was Washington?" Carver? I thought he was the peanut guy.
Museum finds "secret" message in Lincoln's watch [reuters]
Thanks to NTF, who found a hidden message in her Tokyoflash. It read "Made in Japan".
Reader Comments
1. Noaa - March 11, 2009 4:10 PM
1
2. jared - March 11, 2009 4:12 PM
2
3. christian - March 11, 2009 4:13 PM
three-nis
4. jared - March 11, 2009 4:14 PM
3
5. jared - March 11, 2009 4:14 PM
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6. jared - March 11, 2009 4:15 PM
the watch is awsome
7. BOOM! - March 11, 2009 4:20 PM
7TH BITCHES
8. sɐɐu - March 11, 2009 4:23 PM
ǝʞɐɟ
9. BOOM! - March 11, 2009 4:24 PM
I agree with jared
10. jared - March 11, 2009 4:27 PM
thanks 4 agreeing with me
11. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - March 11, 2009 4:28 PM
I was dissapointed when I read this earlier today. I was expecting some secret coded message that helped the union win the war... Not some creepy stalker-style note no one knew about.
12. Angel Mass - March 11, 2009 4:46 PM
Conspirationsts
13. Elmo - March 11, 2009 4:47 PM
wouldn't it be great if it said "we're all gonna die 2012" or "don't elect Bush" or "I will be shot in the head by some dude"
14. Rutty - March 11, 2009 4:49 PM
There goes the plotline of the next "National Treasure"...
15. 15-ish - March 11, 2009 5:02 PM
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16. Noaa - March 11, 2009 5:11 PM
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17. Noaa - March 11, 2009 5:11 PM
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18. Noaa - March 11, 2009 5:12 PM
that was weird?
19. jared - March 11, 2009 5:12 PM
geekologie is an awsome web site WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
20. jared - March 11, 2009 5:13 PM
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21. dabrammaammamama - March 11, 2009 5:50 PM
If this was done in 1861 how come it also says 1864 further down the inscription?
22. Amaranth - March 11, 2009 5:56 PM
BALLLLLLINNNNNNN
23. Salza - March 11, 2009 5:59 PM
I found a secret message in my watch it said 'to change battery' and then an arrow. but then in my other watch a piece of paper saying nothing lol
24. Milkman - March 11, 2009 6:56 PM
lol #14, thats what i thought. all they need is nicholas cage
25. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - March 11, 2009 8:15 PM
I like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in my Commodore Amiga 1000 better:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/pages/staypuff.html
26. bendizle - March 11, 2009 10:09 PM
do you think if abe lincoln knew about this he'd be pissed the f_ck off??
27. gagads - March 11, 2009 10:27 PM
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28. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - March 11, 2009 11:30 PM
All of you "counters" are fcuking idiots.
29. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - March 11, 2009 11:51 PM
@21: LOL, look at the rest of it, who knew jewelers of the Industrial Revolution era were taggers!
I bet under one of the gears it says: "Booth wuz here"
30. DeeplyTroubled - March 11, 2009 11:59 PM
@ 21 - I'm with you, what gives with the year 1864? Furthermore this guy also graffitied the confederate president's name in the watch ("Jeff Davis"), who was like the anti-Abe, and that's a pretty weird thing to do too. And was this guy really a "watchmaker" or just a watch "fixer"? So many questions....
31. AdamYYZ - March 12, 2009 7:33 AM
Don't try to open the puzzle watch. We warned you!
32. jj - March 12, 2009 9:36 AM
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33. paper shredder - June 1, 2009 2:15 AM
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