History Dispatches

In late 1775, British and American forces were locked in a stalemate around Boston. The British were dug in, and the Americans lacked the heavy artillery to unseat them. And that’s when a Boston bookseller - 25 year old Henry Knox - suggested that artillery recently captured at Fort Ticonderoga be hauled overland to Boston. The only problem was that Fort Ticonderoga was more than 300 miles away, and many said bringing 60 tons of artillery over lakes, rivers and mountains - in the winter - was impossible. This is the story of Henry Knox and the Guns of Fort Ticonderoga.

Sources

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/guns-ticonderoga

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_train_of_artillery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Knox

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siegeofbostonartillery.jpg

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Military units often have mascots, but not many are as impactful as Sgt. Gander, a massive Newfoundland dog donated to the Royal Rifles of Canada. Sgt. Gander was the quintessential military dog - and his actions during World War II saved many lives during the Battle of Hong Kong.

Sources

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canada/sergeant-gander-and-his-handler-memorial

https://www.hkvca.ca/cforcedata/indivreport/indivdetailed.php?regtno=X200#gsc.tab=0

Image: Canada. Dept. of National Defense / Library and Archives Canada - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/fra/accueil/notice?idnumber=3241498&app=FonAndCol&resource=folderlist&ecopy=a116791-v6

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The Oseberg ship is one of the finest surviving examples of a viking longship. It was discovered - along with two bodies - in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg, Norway. This is the story of the Oseberg ship - one of the finest relics from the Viking Age.

Sources

https://www.vikingtidsmuseet.no/english/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseberg_ship

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oseberg-ship

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Excavation_Oseberg_ship_1.jpg

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In late 1867, the Headmaster's house at Christ College, New Zealand, caught on fire. This was not uncommon at the time, but what is uncommon is this fire involved a quack fire chief, false accusations, and a comedy of errors.

Sources

"College!: a history of Christ's College" by Don Hamilton

Special thanks to Taurapa

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Gargoyles are creepy. They are twisted, leering, tortured looking statues. Their mouths are often wide open - and serve as the exit of a water spout. So what is the story behind this unnerving bit of architecture? Was the gargoyle a ward against evil? Or was it something more sinister? This is the story of the gargoyle.

Sources

https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-a-gargoyle/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/gargoyles-0012253

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle

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