by Beth Py-Lieberman

Lincolns English gold watch was purchased in the 1850s from George Chatterton， a Springfield， Illinois， jeweler. Lincoln was not 2）outwardly vain， but the fine gold watch was a 3）conspicuous symbol of his success as a prominent Illinois lawyer. The National Museum of American History acquired the watch in 1958 as a gift from Lincoln Isham， Abraham Lincoln great-grandson.

Every living soul can recall with certainty what they were doing when a national tragedy occurs—the day the Japanese bombed 4）Pearl Harbor， the day in 5）Dallas when John F. Kennedy was 6）assassinated or the events of September 11. Yet， no one alive today can recall the tragic day in 1861 when Confederate forces fired on 7）Fort Sumter， beginning a terrible and tragic war that divided this nation and changed it forever. This week， a stunning find unveiled a personal record that touched the highest levels of government but remained hidden for nearly a century and a half.

林肯的英国金表是19世纪50年代从伊利诺斯州首府斯普林菲尔德的珠宝商乔治·查特顿处购得的。林肯并不讲究外表，但是这块精致的金表是他作为伊利诺斯州杰出律师的显著象征。1958年，亚伯拉罕·林肯的曾孙林肯·艾沙姆将这块金表作为礼物赠送给美国国家历史博物馆。

所有人都能清楚地回忆起国家发生灾难时，自己在做什么——日本轰炸珍珠港那天，约翰·F·肯尼迪在达拉斯被暗杀的那天或是“9·11”事件发生的那天。然而，没有人能够回忆起1861年那悲壮的一天，同盟军向萨姆特堡进攻，发动了一场可怕而悲惨的战争，这场战争分裂并永远改变了这个国家。本周，一个惊人的发现揭露了一项涉及政府最高级人员的私人记录，近一个半世纪以来，这份记录都不为人知。

On April 13， 1861， Irish immigrant and watchmaker Jonathan Dillon was repairing President Abraham Lincolns pocket watch， when he heard of the attack. Forty-five years later， Dillon told the New York Times what he did that day. “I was in the act of 8）screwing on the 9）dial. I unscrewed the dial， and with a sharp instrument wrote on the metal beneath： ‘The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try.”

1861年4月13日，当爱尔兰移民钟表匠乔纳森·狄龙知道叛军进攻时，他正在修理亚伯拉罕·林肯总统的怀表。45年之后，狄龙向《纽约时报》披露了当天他做了什么事情：“我当时正在拧紧表盘上的螺丝。我用利器在金属上刻道：‘第一枪已经打响。奴隶制已灭亡。感谢上帝，我们有一位至少愿意努力尝试的总统。”

On Tuesday morning， at the National Museum of American History， some 40 reporters and 10）Smithsonian staff witnessed master craftsman and jeweler George Thomas open Abraham Lincolns watch to search for Dillons secret message. Dillons message was there， but not exactly as he later described it. It was a rare moment when a museum， dedicated to the preservation of American history， could be said to be making history. And therein lies a tale. The watchmaker and the President would never meet. And Lincoln would never know that he carried Dillons secret message in his pocket. Lincolns watch is a fine gold timepiece that the 16th president purchased in the 1850s from a Springfield， Illinois jeweler. Harry Rubenstein， chief 11）curator of the museums 12）bicentennial exhibition “Abraham Lincoln： An Extraordinary Life”， has a fondness for the watch， which today would be the equivalent of a 13）high-end 14）Bulova or 15）Tag Heuer. “When you think about Lincoln especially at this point in his life，” Rubenstein says， “his ill-fitting clothes and messy hair； he doesnt seem to care about his appearance. But in fact， he does care about how people perceive him. One of the status symbols of the 19th century is a gold watch. Lincoln is making a statement. Hes carrying a very visible statement of his own success.”

This story is full of ironies. And so we must pause here to reflect on one. It was February 12， Lincolns 200th birthday， when the phone on Rubensteins desk rang. The caller was Douglas Stiles， a 59-year-old attorney and 16）genealogy expert， from Waukegan， Illinois. Stiles is also Dillons great， great grandson. The evidence was not overwhelming. All that Stiles had to offer was a bit of family lore and a newspaper article written 45 years after the fact. Could the stranger calling convince a museum curator to pull a national icon from display， to bring in an expert craftsman to disassemble the delicate， historical artifact， and to take a huge chance that nothing， in fact， could be there？ But， Rubensteins interest was 17）piqued and the decision was made. “Its sort of amazing，” Rubenstein said in an interview before the watch was opened， “when you think that two years before the 18）Emancipation Proclamation， Abraham Lincoln is carrying this hopeful message in his pocket， and never knowing it.”

星期二的早晨，美国国家历史博物馆里大约有40位记者和史密森尼工作人员见证了技艺精湛的工匠和珠宝商乔治·托马斯拆开亚伯拉罕·林肯的怀表，以寻找狄龙的秘密信息。狄龙的秘密信息确实在里面，但是并不和他后来描述的完全一致。这对于致力保存美国历史的博物馆来说，可以说是创造历史，这是绝无仅有的珍贵时刻。而这里面还有个故事。钟表匠和总统从未谋面。林肯绝不会知道自己的口袋里携带着狄龙的秘密信息。林肯的怀表是一块精致的金表，这位美国第16届总统是19世纪50年代从伊利诺斯州斯普林菲尔德一位珠宝商那里购得的。哈里·鲁宾斯坦是博物馆200周年纪念展览“亚伯拉罕·林肯：非凡的一生”的总策展人，他非常喜欢这块怀表，这在如今就是相当于高档的宝路华或者是瑞士豪雅手表。“当你想起林肯，特别是在他生命中那个时候，”鲁宾斯坦说道，“他不合身的衣服和杂乱的头发；好像他从来不关心自己的外表。但是，事实上，他很在乎人们怎么看他。19世纪的社会地位象征之一就是金表。林肯在为自己做声明。他戴着一个非常明显的成功标志。”

这个故事充满了讽刺意味。所以我们必须停下来反思。那是2月12日，正值林肯的诞辰200周年，鲁宾斯坦桌子上的电话响了，来电者是道格拉斯·斯泰尔斯，一位来自于伊利诺斯州沃基根的59岁律师兼族谱专家，同时，他也是狄龙的玄孙。证据并不确凿。斯泰尔斯所提供的只是家族口传的轶事和45年后的报纸报道。这位来电的陌生人有可能说服博物馆馆长把国家宝物撤下展览柜，冒险让一位专家工匠拆开这个精致、具有历史性的工艺品吗？结果可能是发现，事实上里面什么都没有啊。但是，这激发了鲁宾斯坦的兴趣，他做了这个决定。“这很不可思议吧，”就在怀表被拆开前的一个采访中，鲁宾斯坦说道，“想想， 《奴隶解放宣言》发布两年前，这个满怀希望的信息就已经在亚伯拉罕·林肯的口袋中了，而他从来就不知道。”

A month after that initial call， in an elegant museum back room， photographers crowded around jeweler George Thomas who was seated at a makeshift craftsmans bench. As the hour approached， Rubenstein solemnly stepped forward. Lincolns gold pocket watch was delivered to the bench. Thomas went to work with tiny screwdrivers， 19）tweezers and 20）levers. Stopping occasionally to flex his fingers， he added tension to anticipation.“It will be awhile，” he warned， obviously enjoying the drama. Stiles， accompanied by his wife Betsy and his brother Don， took a few deep breaths and readjusted himself in his chair. Finally Thomas， after unscrewing several tiny pins from the watch face， delicately lifted the plate and murmured， “The moment of truth.”

Douglas Stiles is invited to read his ancestors inscription： “Jonathan Dillon April 13-1861 Fort Sumter [21）sic] was attacked by the rebels. Washington thank God we have a government.”The message was there. Yet there is no mention of slavery， nor did it say anywhere that Lincoln was the right man for the job. Perhaps Dillon had grander intentions in mind as he hurriedly 22）etched his note into the watch on that fateful day. In the march of time， what human doesnt add a flourish or two？ One thing is also clear. Dillon wasnt the only one with presidential pocket watch access. For there alongside the Dillon inscription is yet another—“LE Grofs Sept 1864 Wash DC.” Who would that be？

Stiles was satisfied. “I feel more in touch with Lincoln，” and then with a grin， he adds，“Hey， thats Lincolns watch and my ancestor put 23）graffiti on it.”

在接到电话一个月之后，在博物馆的一间雅间密室中，摄影师集聚在珠宝商乔治·托马斯身边，他坐在一个临时的工匠工作台前。时间到了，鲁宾斯坦庄严地走向前。林肯的金表被护送到工作台上。托马斯开始用螺丝起子、钳子和撬杠拆开手表。他偶尔伸展一下手指，这为整个期待的过程增添了一些紧张气氛。“这需要花费一点儿时间，”他提醒说，显然很享受紧张的气氛。斯泰尔斯，由他的妻子贝斯和哥哥唐陪伴着，深深地吸了几口气，调整着自己的姿势。最后，托马斯，在表盘拧下几个细小的螺丝之后，小心翼翼地把金属板移开，然后小声地说：“这是见证真相的时刻。”

道格拉斯·斯泰尔斯被邀请读出祖先的题词：“乔纳森·狄龙，1861年4月13日，萨姆特堡（原文如此）遭遇反叛分子袭击。华盛顿感谢上帝，我们有一个政府。”秘密信息就刻在那里。但是并没有提到奴隶制，或者是说林肯是推翻奴隶制适合的人选。或许在那历史性的一天，狄龙把这个信息匆忙刻到表里面时，怀有更宏大的意图。时间的洪流中，谁没有过那么一两个雄心壮志？另一件事情也是可以肯定的。狄龙并不是唯一一个接触过总统的怀表的人。因为在狄龙的题词旁，还有另一行刻字——“LE Grofs Sept 1864 Wash DC.”这又是谁呢？

斯泰尔斯很满足。“我觉得和林肯之间的联系更紧密了，”然后他微微一笑，补充说道，“嘿，那是林肯的怀表，我的祖先在上面刻了字。”