This Women’s History Month we’re kicking off with the story of a Revolutionary War heroine whom you might not have heard of before. Sybil Ludington is known today as the “female Paul Revere” and while her actions were equally heroic, she was largely forgotten until just over a century after her own midnight ride took place. That was until the first account of her legendary actions were documented by Martha J. Lamb in her 1880 book, History of the City of New York.

An artistic depiction of Sybil Ludington’s midnight ride

Sybil Ludington was born on April 5, 1761 as the first of twelve children to Henry and Abigail Ludington in Fredericksburg, New York (a town known today as Kent). Her father, Colonel Henry Ludington, had served the in the British military for over sixty years but at the time of the American Revolution he had switched sides to the Patriot cause. When the Revolutionary War began, the Ludington family lived in Dutchess County (today known as Putnam County) and Colonel Ludington served as a commander in the local county militia. Sybil’s father was a gristmill owner and the family’s farm was in an area between Connecticut and the coast of the Long Island Sound, a region that was particularly susceptible to attack from British troops.

On April 26, 1777, shortly after Sybil’s 16th birthday, a rider arrived at her home to tell her father that the town of Danbury, Connecticut had been attacked and burned by the British militia. The British General William Tyron sought to capture the arms and ammunition stockpile in the town with his 2,000 troops. Upon receiving this news, Colonel Ludington knew that he needed to gather his men to go and defend the nearby towns and homes against the advancing British armies. However, the problem was that the Colonel's men (around 400) had disbanded for the season and were scattered around the region in their respective farms and homesteads.

After hearing this, sixteen year old Sybil Ludington hopped on her horse and took off into the night, bearing the news that the town of Danbury was being attacked. Some accounts say that Sybil volunteered for the task while others say that her father asked for her help. Either way, Sybil road all through the night alerting the Colonel's men of the attack. Sybil's ride was not easy as she rode through the dark, in the woods and through the rain. She is said to have ridden around forty miles, which is almost triple the length of Paul Revere's famous ride, just to make sure that all were alerted of the British menace. Not only did Sybil face the precarious weather and terrain but she risked attack or capture at the hands of the British as well as danger from marauding outlaws (known as skinners) who had no allegiance in the ongoing conflict. However, Sybil knew the lay of the land around her family’s farm well and she knew where her father’s men lived — information which served her well. By the time Sybil made it back home by daybreak, many of the regiment had gathered and were ready to march. Although Colonel Ludington's troops arrived too late to aid the defense of Danbury, they did confront the departing British and drive them back to Long Island Sound.

The dedication of Sybil’s statue at Lake Gleneida. The sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington, is third from left.

In the end, Sybil’s heroic efforts were greatly appreciated by her friends, neighbors, and allegedly even George Washington who is reported to have personally delivered his thanks to the young teenager. Following the war, Sybil married a man named Edmund Ogden when she was 23 years old. Edmund had served as a sergeant during the Revolutionary War in a regiment from Connecticut. The couple lived in Catskill, New York and had one child together, Henry Ogden, named after Sybil’s father. When Edmund died in 1799 from yellow fever, Sybil purchased a tavern and used the funds from this venture to aid Henry in his quest to be a lawyer. Henry Ogden would go on to do just that as well as be elected to the New York State Assembly. Unfortunately, Henry would die a year before his mother in 1838. Sybil herself passed away on February 26, 1839 at the age of 77. She was buried alongside her father.

Sybil Ludington’s legacy still lives on. You can find a bronze statue of the teen girl by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntingtonin in Carmel, New York. The statue depicts sixteen year old Sybil atop her horse named “Star,” screaming and waving a stick she used to knock on doors alerting many of the British attack. Furthermore, in 1975, Sybil Ludington was put on a series of commemorative stamps issued for the United States’ bicentennial meant to honor the unrecognized heroes of the Revolution War. A poetic take on the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” depicting the actions of Sybil Ludington even appeared in a magazine on April 14, 1940. Written by Berton Bradley, it read:

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of a lovely feminine Paul Revere

Who rode an equally famous ride
Through a different part of the countryside,

Where Sybil Ludington’s name recalls
A ride as daring as that of Paul’s”

Sybil Ludington is a wonderful example of women’s strength through adversity, a previously unrecognized war heroine that made history. Riding almost forty miles on a horse in the dark through rough terrain while evading enemy forces sounds daunting especially at only sixteen years of age, but Sybil Ludington did exactly that. She is an inspirational historical figure that proves nothing is impossible: no matter how old you are or how young you are, you can achieve extraordinary tasks. As we begin Women’s History Month, Sybil Ludington’s story serves to remind us about the brave women and girls who fought for independence — women and girls whose stories were often forgotten or left out of our nation’s vibrant history.

The Revolutionary War Heroine Sybil Ludington

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