Sybil Ludington
Sybil Ludington, born on April 5, 1761, in Dutchess County, New York, is often remembered for her significant role during the American Revolutionary War. As the eldest daughter of a militia colonel, she took on considerable responsibilities, especially when her father was away on military duties. Her most notable act occurred on the night of April 26, 1777, when she rode over forty miles to alert her father's regiment about a British raid on Danbury, a crucial supply town for the Continental Army. Despite the dangers, Ludington successfully gathered nearly 400 men, showcasing her bravery and knowledge of the local terrain.
Though her heroism went largely unrecognized for many years, Ludington gained acknowledgment in the early 20th century, inspiring various cultural representations, including poetry and commemorative events. She married Edmond Ogden in 1784 and operated an inn in Catskill, New York, until her passing in 1839. Today, she is honored as a symbol of courage and involvement in the war, with several memorials and events dedicated to her legacy, including an annual marathon inspired by her historic ride.
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Subject Terms
Sybil Ludington
Revolutionary War heroine
- Born: April 5, 1761
- Birthplace: Kent, New York
- Died: February 26, 1839
- Place of death: New York
Significance: On the night of April 26, 1777, Sybil Ludington—at the age of sixteen—traveled more than forty miles on horseback through New York to inform her father's regiment of an attack on a neighboring town. Ludington's actions during the American Revolution earned her the praise of George Washington, leader of the Continental Army, and were compared to the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
Background
Sybil Ludington was born on April 5, 1761, in an area of New York then known as Dutchess County. Little is known of her early life apart from her role within her family and her involvement in her father's military responsibilities. She was the daughter of Henry Ludington and Abigail Knowles. Her father was a miller and farmer, and he served in the military for much of his life. Loyal to the British Crown until about 1773, Henry Ludington later served as a member of the New York Assembly in the 1770s and was a justice of the peace and a member of the revolutionary Committee of Safety throughout the 1780s. During the American Revolution (1775–1783), Ludington's father took a post as a militia colonel of the Continental Army, commanding the Dutchess County area. Dutchess County was situated near a common military route between northern New York and Connecticut, and the Ludington family became accustomed to regularly traveling this road.
As the oldest of twelve children, Ludington was partly responsible for the care of her younger siblings. She took on an even greater household role when her father was away on war business. During these times, Ludington's father trusted his daughter with spy codes and secret signals to ensure the family's protection from British soldiers. Her father also regularly held military meetings at the family home and designated the farm as the primary receiving center for the revolution's spy network. The members of this spy ring later inspired writer James Fenimore Cooper to write his novel The Spy(1821).
Life's Work
Ludington's historic role in the Revolutionary War began in April of 1777. Her father and his militia had returned home for planting season and were effectively off duty. At nightfall on April 26, a rider came to Ludington's father informing him of a raid on the neighboring town of Danbury, a major store for the Continental Army's military supplies. The rider requested military backup, but all of the colonel's men were scattered across the region at their respective homes. The rider's horse was worn out from its speedy journey to the Ludington home and could not be ridden again until it rested. Ludington's father needed to send someone out to his regiment's homes as soon as possible for Danbury to have any chance of resistance.
Busy preparing for the ensuing fight, the colonel could not make the journey himself. He decided to send his eldest daughter to alert and mobilize his men. Ludington knew where all of her father's soldiers lived and was familiar with the many roads and paths throughout the county. She was also an excellent horse rider. From her family's farm, Ludington traveled south and made a loop as she trekked west and then north back up to the homestead. She traveled more than forty miles in the middle of the night by herself, managing to avoid British troops the entire way. By the end of the night, Ludington had gathered nearly all of her father's regiment, which consisted of four hundred men. Such a feat required deep knowledge of her surroundings and her neighbor's attitudes toward the war. Ludington was able to discern between those who were allies to her father and those who were loyal to the British.
By daybreak, her father's regiment was ready to march to Danbury. Although it arrived too late to save its supplies, the Continental Army was able to intercept the British troops on their journey back to the coast and took part in the Battle of Ridgefield. The incident roused Continental support in New York and Connecticut and led to an increase in military enrollment. Ludington's heroism was a key part of this strategic success and earned her a personal thank you from General George Washington. She continued to help her father and the revolutionary cause until the war's end. Her actions were largely forgotten after the war, however. She married in 1784 and ran an inn with her husband in Catskill, New York. Following her husband's death in 1799, she continued to run the inn until moving to Otsego County in central New York in 1811. She passed away in 1839 and was buried in Patterson, New York, not far from the route she traveled in 1777.
Impact
Ludington's courage did not receive widespread recognition until the early twentieth century. In 1912, poet Fred C. Warner published "On an April Night 1777," a dramatic retelling of Ludington's journey. The New York State Education Department later recognized Ludington's ride by placing markers at the site of her ride in the 1930s. Several more honors were dedicated to Ludington's heroism in the decades to follow, including a bronze commemorative statue unveiled in Putnam County in 1961. Ludington became the symbol of the National Woman's Party during the bicentennial of the American Revolution in 1975. That same year, her image was used for a United States postage stamp. Dramatic renditions of her ride include several poems, a film, a children's book, and an opera. Since 1979, a marathon run designed after Ludington's historic ride takes place annually in Carmel, New York.
Personal Life
Ludington married Edmond Ogden, a lawyer, in 1784. The couple had a son, Henry Ogden.
Bibliography
DeBenedette, Valerie "The 16-Year-Old Revolutionary Who Outrode Paul Revere." Mental Floss, 18 Apr. 2016, www.mentalfloss.com/article/78686/16-year-old-revolutionary-who-outrode-paul-revere. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.
Fisher, Nicole. "Meet Revolutionary Woman Sybil Ludington Ogden." The Federalist, 30 Mar. 2016, www.thefederalist.com/2016/03/30/meet-revolutionary-woman-sybil-ludington-ogden/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.
"Ludington, Sybil." American National Biography Online, www.anb.org/articles/20/20-01901.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.
"Sybil Ludington 50km Run." Sybil Ludington 50km Run, www.sybilludington50k.com/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.
"Sybil Ludington (1761–1839)." National Women's History Museum, www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/sibyl-ludington/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.