Sybil Ludington New York’s Paul Revere
by Though not as well known as Paul Revere Sybil Ludington’s ride to muster the New York Militia helped the cause of Independence for the American Colonies.
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Listen my children and you shall hear about the midnight ride of Sybil Ludington. While Sybil’s name does not have quite the rhyming effect that the name Paul Revere does in in Longfellow’s poem her actions were no less important than that of the man who is credit with warning the countryside that the English were coming.
Born April 5, 1761 and raised in New York near the Hudson River, Sybil was the oldest of twelve children born to Colonel Henry and Abigail Ludington.
On the night of April 26th 1777 while Sybil was busy putting her siblings to bed for the night the Ludingtons received word that the British were burning the city of Danbury, Connecticut.
Her father as Captain of the New York militia needed to gather his troops that were scattered for miles around the Ludington residence. Sixteen year old Sybil volunteered to muster the men.
In pouring rain Sybil rode 40 miles (twice the distance of Paul Revere’s famous ride) through the dark night. Knocking on doors with a stick she used to urge her horse on she would shout “Muster at Ludington!” before riding on to the next farmhouse to call out the message.
During her ride she was accosted by a highwayman and forced to fight him off using her father’s musket.
By the time the exhausted girl returned home it was nearly dawn and most of her father’s 400 men were assembled and ready to march.
The Militia was too late to save Danbury, but under Sybil’s fathers leadership they were able to confront General William Tryon, the governor of New York and his troops and drive them back to Long Island Sound.
Throughout the war Sybil continued to aid the Militia by carrying messages between the scattered troops of the continental army.
Though few people have heard of this brave young woman the state of New York has not forgotten her. Markers have been put up so that visitors can trace her route and there is statute of Sybil along the route.
Since 1979 a 50 kilometer footrace has been held each April to approximate her ride.
Although no poet has immortalized her contribution to American Independence, she has been dubbed the female Paul Revere.
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