Lincoln's Watch

Here's an interesting story combining history, trivia, family legends, and fun.

An Irish immigrant and watchmaker, Jonathan Dillon, called on to fix Abraham Lincoln's watch in 1861, opened it up and put a secret message in it. Lincoln never knew.

The story was passed down within the family. Over the years the message that was supposed to be in it became different from what it turned out to be. But it turned out that indeed there was a message from the watchmaker.

They opened it recently -- today, I guess -- and found this message: "Jonathan Dillon April 13, 1861. Fort Sumter was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government."

Douglas Stiles, the great-great grandson of Dillon, the same guy who alerted the Smithsonian to this legend, was happy, saying, "That's Lincoln's watch, and my ancestor wrote graffiti on it!"

Pretty cool.