Graffiti in Lincoln's watch News Update

March 10th, 2009 Smithsonian's American History Museum, in honoring of the 200 year birth of Abraham Lincoln, opened Abe's well preserved pocket watch. It had been rumored, for more than 150ty years, that there was a secret inscription written inside it. The quest for the truth began on February 12th, 2009. Doug Stiles, a lawyer living in Illinois, decided to call Harry Rubenstein. The Curator of the American History Smithsonian Museum. Doug explain to Harry Rubenstein, that he and his brother Don, were the great, great, grandchildren of Jonathan Dillon. He further went on telling Harry, how his Irish immigrant ancestor, once reported he had left a secret inscription on or about the date the first shot was fired on Fort Sumpter. Apparently Harry found this amazing tale to good to pass up. He agreed at once to have the pocket watch examine for the possible discovery. As the story went, the inscription was said to have read;

“The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try.”

At the end of the day the inscription read;

“Jonathan Dillon April 13-1861 Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon April 13-1861 Washington thank God we have a government Jonth Dillon.”

Doug Stiles great, great grandfather had indeed left his chicken scratches in the back of Abraham Lincoln's watch.

Imagine finding a hundred and forty-eight year old piece of history? This story brings in the perceptive light of discovery and America's rich history. I find inner city graffiti is much like that. Masterful hands working silently in the dark to leave us their mark. I find this pocket watch to be no different. Neither did Doug Stiles and I quote, "Hey, that’s Lincoln’s watch and my ancestor put graffiti on it.” Graffiti comes in all sorts of packages, styles and means. The most commonly found these days, are the signature pieces found on old railroad box cars. Or the writings of inner cities troubled youth. Think, if you will about those youths. How old do you think they are now? Forty or fifty years maybe? I think so. I also find it amazing at how far it travels. Graffiti travels around the world faster than a sent letter. Graffiti is an ageless past-time. Leaving ones mark, like Jonathan Stiles did, is priceless. It can be found on ancient cave walls, temples, shrines and grave sites. From the farthest reaches of earth and to the beginning of time. Graffiti has always been the voice of expression. Take the early Christian graves located under the outer barrier of Rome. People would suffer dreary, damp, poisonous environments, to mark on a stone wall or seal of a love one's grave site. Graves have often been the most common use of graffiti. Though the artist expressions and styles have changed over the years, still true is the hidden meaning behind it. "I've been here!"

When I was a small child, my mother and father would send to me a church camp, Camp Galilee. Some of my most cherish memories are from those times at the camp. My best friend Joe Briscoe and his sister Traci would always come long. We'd spend the afternoons in a canoe, swimming or playing four squares. The unique thing about this camp was they encourage us kids, to write our names on the walls, bunk beds, shelves or closets in the pine cabins we stayed in. We'd all stay in cabins of 8 or more kids. It was tradition that upon arrival you'd choose your bunk and begin writing on the walls. When I was 21, I received the opportunity to revisit the camp. When I went to the camp as a young child, many of the dates left were already twenty or thirty years old. Well eleven years later, I was thrilled to see my name was still there. The feeling that came over me, was one of comfort and warmth. I had been there! I was there now. Isn't that why we leave such marks? They are our time capsules to days gone by and close reminders of the past. I think that is what Jonathan Dillon was saying, when he inscriped the above written words. For years, he was the only one who new the truth about LIncoln's watch. He left his legacy to forever be sealed inside the priceless package; that he clearly wanted to be found on a future date.