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A medieval tower that inspired a children's icon.

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This nursery rhyme still sung and spoken all over the English-speaking world today.

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A weathered graveyard offers haven for the living.

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The lives of 28 people are on the line.

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And an elegant statue of an heroic alter ego.

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She was way ahead of her time, but she also had a shocking secret.

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Sometimes the greatest secrets lie in plain sight.

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These are the mysteries at the monument.

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Kansas City.

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In the 20th century, this former frontier community blossomed into an impressive metropolis,

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lined with graceful boulevards and landscaped parks.

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But just a few miles from these urban streets,

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in the town of White Cloud, stands a monument with a more rustic appearance.

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It's about six feet tall.

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It's made of limestone and river rock.

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And it has a brass plaque in the middle of it with a little boy and a piglet.

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This scene appears to portray the area's simple agrarian past.

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But as White Cloud resident Linda Maris explains,

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the image actually chronicles an event that would impact lives far beyond this rural enclave.

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It inspired a piece of Americana that is found in most homes today.

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Who are the figures depicted in this plaque?

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And what cultural craze did they unintentionally spark?

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1913, White Cloud, Kansas.

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The Chapman family is entertaining a special guest.

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Their friend, William Danner, a respected preacher who works with the American leprosy mission.

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Mr. Danner was traveling across the country trying to raise money that would help children with leprosy.

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Danner describes how the disease leaves its victims crippled and disfigured.

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It affects families, it affects children.

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Their families were kicking them out and they had nowhere to go, no one to take care of them.

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Seen some terrible things. Leprosy is an awful disease.

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The Chapmans are horrified by Danner's tale.

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But then they learn that a donation of $25 can help care for one sick patient for an entire year.

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$25 was a good chunk of change.

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It amounted to about $600 today.

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The family had become so inspired by listening to Mr. Danner that they felt like they needed to do something.

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The family vows to raise a staggering $250 by the time Danner leaves town.

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That's enough cash to care for 10 children with leprosy.

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They went from door to door, neighbor to neighbor to raise money.

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Thank you.

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But after making the rounds, they discover they've only raised $225.

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$25 short of their goal of supporting 10 children.

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It only was enough for nine.

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One family member is especially disappointed by the shortfall, 10-year-old Wilbur.

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Wilbur was a very compassionate boy.

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He wanted to help those children and he felt like he had left that 10th person down.

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The disheartened Wilbur is determined to find a solution and what he comes up with will inspire a cultural phenomenon.

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Despite the shortfall, a grateful Mr. Danner thanks Wilbur for his efforts by giving him three silver dollars to spend however he likes.

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But the boy isn't about to waste his cash on candy or toys.

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He would find a better way to spend it.

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A few days later, Wilbur is walking by a neighbor's farm when he spots a curly pink tail.

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He saw a piglet.

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He asked the farmer how much the little piglet was and the farmer told him $3.

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Wilbur hands over the money, but he's not purchasing a new pet.

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He's investing in the future.

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He plans to raise the last $25 for the leprosy mission by fattening up his small pig and bringing it to market.

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So Wilbur names the pig Pete.

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For several months, Wilbur feeds and cares for Pete.

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And Pete is becoming a very healthy pig. He's growing into quite a huge hog.

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And finally, Wilbur is ready to take the pig to market.

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To his delight, Pete the Pig fetches a price of $25.

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The very amount Wilbur needs to fulfill his family's pledge.

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He immediately sends it to Mr. Danner to keep his promise.

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But just when the boy thinks his mission is over, it takes on a life of its own.

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A story about Wilbur and the pig soon appears in a national newspaper

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and triggers a wave of interest in the American leprosy mission.

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To capitalize on this momentum, the group's organizers decide to give their supporters their very own Pete.

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They distribute hollow cast iron hogs that have a coin-sized slot on top.

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People are encouraged to feed the pig with coins instead of corn.

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The campaign is a huge success.

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Collecting a staggering $1 million to help fund the American leprosy mission.

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Over the next few years, thousands of these cast iron miniatures appear in homes throughout the U.S.

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Because of Wilbur's campaign, the Piggy Bank becomes the ubiquitous cultural icon it is today.

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It's incredible how the Piggy Bank movement in America could start with a small boy and a piglet.

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And in 1938, this monument is erected in white cloud to celebrate the heartwarming tale of Wilbur Chapman, Pete the Pig,

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and the astonishing dividends that a child's selfless act can inspire.

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Just 20 miles outside of Boston sits the quaint community of Sharon, Massachusetts.

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Today, the area is known for its hiking trails and the placid waters of Lake Massapok.

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But standing outside the public library on Main Street is a statue that harkens back to the town's colonial past.

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It's 2,000 pounds. It's 5'7 inches tall. It's made of black and bronze.

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In her right hand is a powder horn. In her left arm, she has a musket. In her left hand, a tricorned hat.

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According to local historian Stephen Connolly, this statue's peaceful expression belies a sensational saga of valor, hardship, and deception.

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This is the story of an incredibly brave woman that was way ahead of her time, but she also had a shocking secret.

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1782. As the Revolutionary War drags on, the Continental Army, in its fight against the British, is stretched dangerously thin.

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Morale was low. For the Army to recruit men, it was a difficult task.

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There weren't many young, able-bodied men around anymore.

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Amidst this turmoil, one Massachusetts native wants to do her part.

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21-year-old Deborah Sampson.

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Deborah was a patriotic person. She was a self-driven person. This was a fledgling country at the time. She wanted to be part of it.

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Deborah believes she can best support the cause by becoming a soldier.

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But there's a problem. Women aren't allowed to serve in the Army.

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So she comes up with an audacious idea. She will disguise herself as a man.

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She cut her hair slightly short. She also had to wrap her breasts in bandages to disguise herself more. She looked like a man.

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On May 20th, Sampson travels to a nearby recruitment center and puts her disguise to the test.

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Deborah walked into the enlistment home. She sat down and discussed her intentions.

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To her relief, the recruiting officer never questions her identity.

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She's soon enrolled in the Continental Army under the alias Robert Shurtliff

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and is dispatched with her regiment to the Hudson Valley.

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Deborah was quite relieved at this stage. She was proud of her accomplishment.

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To keep her secret safe, Deborah changes only at night and far away from her fellow soldiers.

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Over the next year, she participates in several battles throughout the region.

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With each skirmish, she distinguishes herself as one of the best combatants on the line.

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Deborah was country strong. She grew up on a farm. She could handle all the instruments of war that were handed to her.

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She was asked to join the elite light infantry.

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They were more agile and generally more intelligent than the other forces in the Army.

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And Deborah easily held her own.

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But this fighter's stellar military career is about to come crashing down.

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In the summer of 1783, Deborah's regiment is sent to defend Philadelphia.

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But upon their arrival, the troops discover that the British are not the only enemy in town.

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A malignant fever is raging in the city.

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And Deborah unfortunately caught this fever.

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As her condition worsens, the ailing soldier is taken to a nearby hospital to be examined by a doctor.

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Deborah was terrified that her true identity would be discovered.

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It's summer 1783, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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For a year, Deborah Sampson has been masquerading as a man so she could fight in the Continental Army.

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But when she falls ill and is taken to a hospital for treatment, her true identity is in danger of being revealed.

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So will doctors uncover Deborah's revolutionary ruse?

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Camp physician Dr. Barnabas Binney examines Deborah's unconscious body and observes something unusual under her shirt.

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He noticed that there were bandages around her chest and he wasn't quite sure what this was about.

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Possibly there was another wound that had to be dealt with.

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When Dr. Binney unwraps the dressings, he gets the surprise of his life.

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He discovered that this man was actually a woman.

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It was a tremendous shock for him.

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Deborah eventually comes to and confesses to the deception.

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She waits for the doctor to summon the guards and arrest her.

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But instead of reporting her, Dr. Binney offers to nurse her back to health.

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He realized that this was a woman who defended her country almost up to the point of death.

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At a time when women weren't allowed to fight, he had a patriot on his hands.

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When the female soldier's health finally improves, Dr. Binney writes a letter to her commanding officer, revealing her true identity.

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But he also extols her service and arranges for her honorable discharge from the Continental Army.

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She had performed a full service of duty up until the end of the war.

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She was a valiant and good soldier of the time.

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After the war ends, the pioneering figure publishes a memoir recounting her incredible life.

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She is ultimately celebrated as a national hero.

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Women weren't allowed into the army until 1901. She was almost 120 years ahead of her time.

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In 1989, Deborah Sampson is honored in Sharon, Massachusetts with a life-sized bronze statue,

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a testament to the female fighter who proved that patriotism knows no gender.

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Cincinnati, Ohio. The late 19th century saw the construction of famous works of architecture,

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like the Tyler Davidson Fountain and the Cincinnati Inn Hotel,

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or Nate Structures that inspired the title, The Paris of America.

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But just north of the city's central district is a landmark that boasts monuments on a much smaller scale.

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It was established in 1843. It's approximately 24 acres.

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It's a beautiful area with trees and green grass, and there is a big iron gate right at the front entrance.

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This is Wesleyan Cemetery, the region's oldest continually operating burial ground.

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But as historian Kathy Dahl attests, this resting place was once an unlikely haven for the living.

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This graveyard was the setting for a daring tale of deception and escape.

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1853, Boone County, Kentucky. Virginia farmer John Fairfield has just arrived in town.

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But he's not here to buy seed or trade cattle. Fairfield is on a secret mission.

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John Fairfield is an abolitionist of the Underground Railroad, and he has come to Boone County to liberate as many slaves as he can.

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The unlikely abolitionist grew up on a slave-holding plantation and came to despise the practice at a young age.

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He had childhood friends who were slaves. Really opened his eyes to the abuses of slavery.

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For years, Fairfield has been leading slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad's network of safe houses and secret routes.

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Now, by using his position as a farmer for cover, Fairfield is about to recruit his latest group of fugitives.

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When Fairfield comes to Boone County, he poses as a poultry dealer.

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But he is secretly meeting with slaves about how he can help them get to Canada.

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And he is able to convince 28 men, women and children to escape.

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The plan is to transport the slaves to Canada, because according to U.S. law, even in the free states of the American North,

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runaway slaves can be arrested and sent back south. The risk of capture is high.

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If they are caught, everyone will be punished. Fairfield could face jail time.

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The slaves will be sent back, beaten, whipped, or sold further south so they couldn't escape again.

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The first step in the perilous 350-mile journey north will take the group across the Ohio River.

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The key to success will be to sneak through the city of Cincinnati under cover of darkness.

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They couldn't travel during the daylight. They would definitely be noticed as escaped slaves.

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On the night of April 2nd, Fairfield and the 28 slaves set off on their harrowing journey.

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They hurry to cross the river so they can pass through Cincinnati before dawn.

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But once across the water, the muddy river bank slows them down.

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Their journey towards Cincinnati ended up costing them more time than Fairfield had anticipated.

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As day breaks, the group finds itself standing on the edge of town where they could easily be discovered.

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The escaping slaves must somehow get through the city in broad daylight before their owners can track them down.

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They now need to figure out how to get through the city without raising the alarm.

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The lives of 28 people are on the line.

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Since in 1853, abolitionist John Fairfield is faced with an almost impossible task.

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He must somehow move a group of 28 fugitive slaves through the middle of the city in broad daylight.

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If caught, the runaways face brutal retribution.

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While the fugitives hide in a secluded ravine, Fairfield heads into town to seek help.

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He contacts a local anti-slavery activist named Levi Coffin.

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Levi Coffin was an abolitionist with a network of safe houses from Indiana, Michigan and into Canada.

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But Coffin's safe houses lie on the other side of Cincinnati.

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So Fairfield and Coffin come up with a daring idea.

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They will hide all 28 fugitives in plain sight.

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Their plan is to disguise the group as a funeral procession going to the Wesleyan cemetery.

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The cemetery lies on the city's northern edge in close proximity to several safe houses.

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And it is uniquely suited to receiving the party.

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Wesleyan Cemetery was the first racially integrated cemetery.

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It allowed the burials of both black and white people. And Levi Coffin knew this.

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Later that day, Fairfield assembles the frightened group along the edge of town.

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Disguised as an undertaker, he slowly leads them towards the cemetery.

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As the procession enters the city, curious bystanders stop and stare at the strange mixed race group of mourners.

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And the escaping slaves think they are caught.

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But then the fugitives realize the plan is working.

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As the procession passes through town, people bow their heads in respect.

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And no one stopped them.

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The escapees reach the cemetery later that day.

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And find shelter at Coffin's network of safe houses.

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The plan works perfectly.

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A few weeks later, Fairfield leads the fugitives across the border into Canada and freedom.

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This journey, which comes to be called the Escape of the 28,

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is one of the largest and best documented in the history of the Underground Railroad.

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And in 2014, the National Park Service formally recognizes Wesleyan Cemetery's role in the audacious flight,

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by naming it a Network to Freedom Landmark.

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Stretching over 54,000 square miles of mountain ranges and valleys is the vast empty wilderness of the Mojave Desert.

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But on the western reaches of this barren landscape is a man-made landmark built to protect the nation.

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It's over 480 square miles.

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It has over 60 miles of runways and has over 10,000 personnel employed there.

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This is Edwards Air Force Base.

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The complex network of hangers and airstrips has been a key to virtually every stride made in American aeronautics,

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from breaking the sound barrier to welcoming the first space shuttle back to Earth.

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But according to historian Al Blankenship, the base also gave rise to a top secret operation that changed the face of the Cold War.

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This was one of the most ambitious military projects in history.

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1957, Washington, D.C.

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Military officials fear the country's nuclear capabilities are lagging behind the Soviets.

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But with aerial reconnaissance deemed too risky, government authorities are stymied on how to gauge the Soviet arsenal.

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So they turn to a 48-year-old CIA officer for help. His name is Richard Bissell.

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Richard Bissell was extremely intelligent. He had always been considered a real leader, relatively ineffective.

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Bissell heads up an effort to develop what could be the game-changing U.S. spy technology.

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The first satellite that can take photographs from space.

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The project is codenamed Corona.

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There was a lot of pressure for Corona to be a very, very successful program. There was really no room for failure.

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The good news is that Bissell and his team have already designed a spy satellite equipped with a powerful camera,

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as well as a heat-resistant capsule in which to transport the film from its orbit 100 miles above the Earth.

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All that's left is to find a way to recover the capsule.

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Catch it with airplanes.

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The solution was to pluck the film capsule out of mid-air with an aircraft.

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To accomplish this, Bissell puts together an ambitious plan.

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The film capsule, attached to a parachute, will enter the atmosphere over a carefully targeted zone.

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Circling in that section of sky will be nine C-119 cargo planes known as flying boxcars that are specially rigged to snare the capsule's parachute while the plane is in flight.

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Placed in the very rear of the ramp on the cargo plane, you have two 43-foot-long poles.

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Attached to the two poles is a kind of steel net made of cable and hooks.

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But in order to snag the capsule's parachute, the pilots must accurately judge the speed of its descent and intercept it at the correct angle.

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The challenges are horrendous. How do you find a needle in a haystack?

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In 1958, the seemingly mad cat plan is approved and an elite squadron of pilots begins training at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

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The team is nicknamed the Star Catchers and on August 18, 1960, the delicate operation is put to the test.

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A satellite is launched into orbit carrying the state-of-the-art spy camera and film.

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As it circles the Earth from space, the device snaps surveillance photos of the Soviet Union.

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27 hours later, the film capsule begins the harrowing process of re-entering the atmosphere and the flying boxcars take off.

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Nobody else in the Air Force anywhere had ever done this before.

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It's 1960 and the Cold War is at its height. A team of CIA spies are trying to retrieve a capsule containing a priceless roll of film by catching it in midair before it smashes into the ocean.

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It's like catching a pop fly from outer space.

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Bissell and his team hold their breath while the planes patrol the target zone.

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The parachute carrying the film capsule is finally spotted.

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With everything on the line, a flying boxcar homes in on the hurtling object.

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The recovery aircraft zoomed towards the descending capsule but completely missed.

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So it turned around and tried a second time, again missing the capsule.

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Failure seems imminent. The team's years of work could all be for nothing.

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It looks like they are not going to make this work.

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But then on the third try, they made a successful recovery.

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The priceless capsule is safe.

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In total, the photographs recovered by the pilots capture over 1.6 million square miles of Soviet territory in stunning detail.

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More than all the previous aerial reconnaissance put together. It also marks another impressive breakthrough.

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This was the first time that mankind had taken pictures of the Earth from space.

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And when President Eisenhower and his military advisors view the photographs, they receive a welcome surprise.

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The film revealed that the Soviet Union only had a fraction of missile, silos and aircraft bombers that they claimed to have.

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On realizing that the Soviet Union has greatly exaggerated their capabilities, the balance of power sways in America's favor, transforming the landscape of the Cold War.

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And today, Edwards Air Force Base sprawls across the Mojave Desert beneath the endless sky, still poised to catch a falling star.

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New York, New York. The city that never sleeps is home to countless communications and publishing firms.

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And standing in Lower Manhattan is one of the media industry's most iconic structures.

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It's on Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. It's native limestone. It has columns, cast iron entrance. It's a beautiful building.

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This is the Macmillan Building.

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Since 1962, this historic landmark has served as the headquarters for the venerable magazine Forbes.

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And as journalist Adam Pennenberg knows firsthand, this company once uncovered an astonishing scandal that brought down one of the industry's shining stars.

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This rocked the journalism profession. When this story came out, it was shocking. We had never come across anything like this.

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1998, Manhattan. Online journalism is in its infancy. Among those hoping to establish a presence on the net is Forbes Magazine.

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The company has launched a new venture called Forbes Digital Tool and has hired veteran print journalist Adam Pennenberg as one of its writers.

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Online news was not held in much esteem by our print brethren. There was this view that it could not possibly be as accurate or as fact-based as print journalism at the time.

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Pennenberg covers the world of cyber crime for the fledgling operation and prides himself on his encyclopedic knowledge.

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But one day in early May, the seasoned reporter is caught off guard.

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Why didn't you have this?

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His editor angrily opens up the latest issue of a rival publication, The New Republic.

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I don't know. I've never heard of any of this.

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The New Republic was available on Air Force One. It was a very venerable print publication.

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His boss points at an article describing the exploits of a teenage computer hacker who reportedly extorted thousands of dollars from a California software firm.

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My editor asked me, why didn't you have this? I was kicking myself because it was a story I should have had.

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Pennenberg is astonished to see the rival journalist who scooped him is only 25 years old. His name is Stephen Glass.

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Stephen Glass was viewed as the hottest young reporter to come out of Washington in years.

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And he was known for coming up with stories that had amazing quotes and amazing scenes.

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Pennenberg sets out to redeem himself by writing a follow-up profile on the California company that was hacked.

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But the journalist soon finds the task is more difficult than he had expected.

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I started looking for the company online and there was no website for it. There was no company by that name.

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Something didn't seem right to me. Perplexed, Pennenberg digs a little deeper.

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I call governmental agencies, find out whether this corporation had ever registered or paid taxes.

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And I couldn't find anything.

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Then the writer checks the other details in the piece. And I couldn't confirm one fact in the story.

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None of this is true.

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It seems that Glass has committed the cardinal sin of reporting, that he has concocted the entire story.

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This could be the big scoop that Forbes and its fledgling website have been seeking.

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There's the potential for a really big story here. This is an amazing opportunity for us.

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But to run an expose about Glass and his apparently fabricated story, Pennenberg will need absolute proof.

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So the reporter comes up with a plan.

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Interview Stephen Glass, under the guise of writing a follow-up piece and catch him in his lies.

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This is Adam at Forbes magazine.

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So I called the New Republic and, much to my amazement, he agreed.

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The next day, Pennenberg and his editor sit down to a conference call with Stephen Glass.

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I've got my editor here with me.

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Hello Stephen.

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Will they prove the young reporter's breaking story is a sham?

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Manhattan, 1998.

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Online journalist Adam Pennenberg is convinced that a celebrated young writer named Stephen Glass has fabricated a story in the venerable print magazine, The New Republic.

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To prove it, he set up an interview with Glass in hopes that he can trip him up.

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So can the online hack expose the prints of print?

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May 8th.

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Hey Stephen, it's Adam from Forbes.

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On the call, Pennenberg and his editor casually quiz Stephen Glass.

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We just have some questions.

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And I said, I couldn't find the website for the company, so I asked if he would share some of his sources with me.

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To Pennenberg's amazement, Glass insists a website does exist.

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I'm looking at it right now. It's right there.

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I thought, how is that possible?

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Because I had to spend two days trying to find this company I couldn't find it.

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When Pennenberg plugs in the address that Glass provides, a website does appear on the screen.

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But it's unlike any other company website he has ever seen.

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We pulled it up and it started to unfurl on our screen, and the site itself was incredibly amateurish.

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It looked like a high school kid had created it in 20 minutes.

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We all looked at each other and my editor said, it looks like a site that's been created to fool someone.

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No, I do not appreciate that.

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It's clear to Pennenberg that the suspicious website was set up just before the call.

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He was trying to cover his tracks.

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As the interview continues, Glass attempts to stand by his article, but he's unable to back up any of it.

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And so they knew ahead of it.

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On May 11th, Pennenberg posts an expose on Forbes' website.

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The piece declares Glass's blockbuster article was pure fiction.

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It's a major scoop for online journalism.

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Stephen Glass created a whole story out of nothing for an respectable print publication.

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When the story came out, the public and my fellow journalists were shocked.

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An internal investigation at the New Republic later reveals that Glass fabricated more than half the stories he wrote for the magazine.

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He made up fake business cards, fake websites, fake voicemail.

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To create a story out of whole cloth is just unfathomable.

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Stephen Glass is immediately fired.

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He never works in journalism again and is currently pursuing a career in law.

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You have the right to your own opinions, but not your own facts.

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Today, the Macmillan building is on the National Registry of Historic Places and continues to serve as the headquarters for Forbes,

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a company that exposed one of the most notorious examples of journalistic misconduct in media history.

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Colchester, England has a history that dates back 2000 years.

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The ancient city is home to the oldest Roman gateway in the country.

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And the largest Norman keep in Europe.

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But just a stone's throw from these ruins stands a lesser known structure that has its own surprising tale.

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This monument dates from the 15th century and it's got a very, very tall tower which is 60, 70 feet high.

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The bottom two-thirds is medieval stone and the top part has been rebuilt in brick.

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All in all, it's quite an impressive building.

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This is St. Mary at the Walls, a Victorian church constructed around a medieval tower.

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Its fortified chapel was the scene of one of the region's bloodiest battles.

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But as historian Patrick Denney reveals, the deadly clash is also said to have inspired a classic children's verse.

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It's believed that from that encounter came a nursery rhyme which is still sung and spoken by children all over the English-speaking world.

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It's a very interesting story to watch today.

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June 1648, Colchester, England.

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The country is ravaged by civil war.

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The royalists on one side support the monarch King Charles I.

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While the parliamentarians believe the citizens should elect their own leaders.

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King Charles believed that God had chosen him to rule.

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But people in parliament wanted to say what was going on.

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The commander-in-chief of the parliamentary forces is 36-year-old Thomas Lord Fairfax.

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Thomas Lord Fairfax had a long successful career.

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The reporters say that he was quite fierce and people respected him and even feared him.

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A brilliant strategist, Fairfax has defeated the King's forces at almost every turn.

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But in the fortified city of Colchester, his rebel army faces its biggest challenge yet.

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Colchester still had its Roman wall intact.

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It was very difficult for an attacker to gain advantage.

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So Fairfax then decided to blockade the town and to besiege it and to slowly starve them out.

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Fairfax orders his men to build forts and ditches around the city.

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But as the construction begins, there is a deafening explosion.

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Through the smoke, Fairfax sees something unusual atop St. Mary's church tower.

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The King's men have somehow hoisted a cannon to the top of the structure to attack the parliamentarian army.

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It was a row-ton brass cannon about nine feet in length and it could certainly fire well over a mile from the top of the tower.

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That was a massive advantage point.

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Just as terrifying is the sight of the man gunning the cannon.

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The infamous One-Eyed Thompson.

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Thompson was referred to as the best gunner in England.

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He could actually shoot a cannonball a mile or more and make that ball land exactly where he wanted with great accuracy.

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One-Eyed Thompson and his elevated cannon are ready to wreak havoc on Fairfax and his men.

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Fairfax is looking at that gunner on top of the tower and he's thinking,

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I've just got to get rid of this man.

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It's 1648 in Colchester, England.

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Lord Fairfax, commander of the parliamentarian army, has successfully cornered King Charles' royalist forces inside the city.

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But the royalists have a secret weapon, a giant cannon positioned atop the city walls.

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So can Fairfax take down this formidable weaponry?

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To bring down Thompson and his powerful weapon, Fairfax will need large, mountain guns of his own.

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And he managed to get some heavy cannon brought down to London.

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On July 14th, under the cover of night, the parliamentarians inch closer to St. Mary's Church with their newly acquired weapons.

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At daybreak, they attack.

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He orders his men to fire on that church repeatedly throughout the day.

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Suddenly, Fairfax hears the deafening thunder of rubble crashing to the ground.

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Fairfax and his troops could see this church crumbling before their eyes.

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The tower was badly, badly damaged.

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Fairfax and his men have sent one-eyed Thompson and his cannon falling to the earth.

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The gunner is believed to have been killed. The cannon came crashing to the ground.

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Following the siege, the royalists finally surrender.

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The parliamentarians arrest and execute the leaders of the opposing army.

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And in the country's capital, the defeated King Charles meets a violent end.

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He was executed in London in January 1649.

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But the siege of Colchester has become famous for another reason.

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According to legend, the round cannon used to defend the tower was nicknamed Humpty Dumpty.

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And it's believed that the cannon Humpty Dumpty became the inspiration for the nursery rhyme.

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When Humpty Dumpty came down and broke to pieces, all the King's horses and all the King's men,

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supporters of Charles I, the royalists, couldn't put Humpty together again.

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But it wasn't until 1872 that Louis Carroll, in the story of Alice through the Looking Glass,

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featured a Humpty Dumpty as an egg-shaped character sitting on a wall.

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Today, St. Mary's at the Wall Church, rebuilt after the siege, and its partially surviving tower,

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endure as a reminder of a legendary cannon and the beloved nursery rhyme it's said to have inspired.

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From a female fighter to an egg-shaped icon, a crooked correspondent to a pig named Pete.

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I'm Don Wilder, and these are the Mysteries at the Monument.

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.