Abby Connolly
Many of us know the story of the famous Paul Revere and how he bravely warned communities outside of Boston about incoming British troops in 1775.
But do you know who was considered the “female Paul Revere” after she rode through the streets of Putnam County, New York, to warn the Patriots about a planned British attack on a Connecticut town?
It was Sybil Ludington, a brave woman who was only 16-years-old when she made her spirited ride in 1777.
Sybil was born in Fredericksburg, New York, in 1761. She was one of 12 children born to Henry and Abigail Ludington. Henry was a former member of the British military who switched over to being a Patriot during the American Revolution.
During the Revolutionary War, Sybil’s father was a commander in the county militia, and they lived on a farm between Connecticut and the coast of the Long Island Sound, which made them vulnerable to British attacks.
The night of April 26th, 1777, was when Sybil made her heroic journey not long after turning 16.
That night, a messenger came to her home and informed her father that the town of Danbury, Connecticut, had been attacked by British troops, as it was the location of an ammunition stockpile.
Sybil’s father knew he needed to warn his men against the British armies and have them protect nearby homes, but his troops were scattered throughout the region at the time. So, in the middle of the night, Sybil hopped on her horse, Star, and took off into the streets to yell and warn her father’s men of the attack.
Sybil bravely rode through the dark in the middle of a rainstorm and spread her message throughout Putnam County, riding approximately 40 miles, which was much longer than Paul Revere’s famous journey.
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