The (mostly unknown) story of the female Paul Revere

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Today is a perfect day to celebrate this little know heroine of the American Revolution- Sybil Ludington. I had never heard of Sybil until I moved to Carmel, NY and saw this magnificent and inspiring statue. I am happy to share her story with you today.

On April 26, 1777, Sybil Ludington rode forty miles through the night to warn approximately 400 militiamen under the control of her father that British troops were planning to attack Danbury, Connecticut, where the Continental Army had a supply depot. On her way to gather her Father’s troops she warned the people of Danbury. Sybil’s father, Colonel Henry Ludington, fought in the French and Indian War and following that he volunteered to head the local militia during the American Revolution. Due to her father’s position, Sybil had to move from town to town following her father, and unknowingly playing an important role in the success of the colonies. The afternoon after Sybil’s ride through Danbury the British troops burned down three buildings and destroyed multiple houses, but did not kill many people. Unlike Paul Revere, little was spoken of Sybil Ludington's ride for personal reasons and the only record of this event was written by her great grandson. Ludington's ride started at 9 p.m. and ended around dawn. She rode 40 miles (64 km) into the damp hours of darkness. She rode through Carmel on to Mahopac, thence to Kent Cliffs, from there to Farmers Mills and back home. She used a stick to prod her horse and knock on doors. She managed to defend herself against a highwayman with a long stick. When, soaked with rain and exhausted, she returned home, most of the 400 soldiers were ready to march.

The men arrived too late to save Danbury, Connecticut. At the start of the Battle of Ridgefield, however, they were able to drive General William Tryon, then governor of the colony of New York, and his men, to Long Island Sound. She was congratulated for her heroism by friends and neighbors and also by General George Washington

In 1935 New York State erected a number of markers along her route. A statue of Sybil, sculpted by Anna Hyatt Huntington, was erected near Carmel, New York, in 1961 to commemorate her ride. Smaller versions[18] of the statue exist on the grounds of the Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters in Washington, DC; on the grounds of the public library, Danbury, Connecticut; and in the Elliot and Rosemary Offner museum at Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

Read more :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Ludington