Paul - blog - Sister to Sister

January 14, 2019, Sybil Lundington

War heroine during our independence war with England

Paul Revere, William Dawes and Jack Jouett rode twelve miles on well worn roads to warn of the arrival of the British. Paul Revere was captured by the British and did not finish his ride.

There were about forty messengers riding that night, one was sixteen year old Sybil Ludington, oldest of twelve children born to Colonel Henry Ludington and Abigail Knowles.

The messenger that brought the information about the British coming was too exhausted to ride further. Sybil's father was in command of the troops that were on their way to join him and could not leave. Sybil was the only one available to make the ride.

On the night of April 26, 1777, Sybil rode bareback forty miles through woods until dawn, dodging British troops and thief's to spread the word, “The British are coming! The British are coming!” to the citizens of Danbury. Actually, it was not 'The British are coming' that was shouted because everyone considered themselves to be British. It was “The Regulars are coming! The Regulars are coming!”

Previously, Incobod Prosserf and fifty royalist had surrounded the Ludington house one night believing it would be easy to capture Subil's father while he was home with his family. The Colonel was not home. But the family was. Sybil placed candles about the house and had her siblings march around in the dim light to looked as if there were a lot of solders in the house. The British believed the ruse and slinked off into the night.

Sybil, a sixteen year old girl, was a heroine not once, but twice.