The same day as the article about the Lincoln photograph, there was a new Lincoln development, this time dealing with Lincoln's pocket watch.
This story deals with Fort Sumter, a family history, and an Irish immigrant.
Irish immigrant and watchmaker Johnathan Dillon was working in a Maryland watch repair shop in 1861 and was repairing Lincoln's pocket watch when news of the firing on Fort Sumter being fired on arrived. He told his children and almost 50 years later that he had opened the watch's inner workings and written his name, the date, and a message, "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try."
He sent it back to the White House and Lincoln never knew of the message.
The watch was eventually given to the Smithsonian and Douglas Stiles, Dillon's great-great-grandson alerted the Smithsonian. As a child, he had heard the story many times and had also come across a 1906 New York Times article where Dillon told the story as well.
This past Tuesday, the Smithsonian had expert watch maker George Thomas open it. Split into three sections around the tiny gears was the razor-thin etching, "Jonathan Dillon April 13, 1861. Fort Sumter was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government."
The attack actually took place the day before, but perhaps Dillon didn't hear about it until the following day. Or, perhaps, he just made a mistake. I guess over the years, he forgot the actual words.
March 11th Chicago Tribune "Legend and Message in old Abe's timepiece" by Neely Tucker, Washington Post.
This Kind of History Fascinates Me. --Da Coot
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