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Sybil (or Sibbell) Ludington (April 5, 1761 – February 26, 1839) is recognized as a heroine of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
; the accuracy of these accounts is questioned by modern scholars. On April 26, 1777, the 16-year-old daughter of a colonel in the
Colonial militia Colonial troops or colonial army refers to various military units recruited from, or used as garrison troops in, colonial territories. Colonial background Such colonies may lie overseas or in areas dominated by neighbouring land powers such ...
,
Henry Ludington Henry Ludington (May 25, 1739 – January 24, 1817) was an American solider in the American Revolutionary War. He aided the effort by providing spies and was associated with John Jay in a ring of spies. Early life Ludington's father, Will ...
, is said to have made an all-night horseback ride to rally militia forces in neighboring towns after the burning of
Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
by British forces. Accounts of Ludington's ride are based on a brief mention in 1907 memoirs about her father, published privately by his grandchildren. A 2015 report in ''
The New England Quarterly ''The New England Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal consisting of articles on New England's cultural, literary, political, and social history. The journal contains essays, interpretations of traditional texts, essay reviews and book r ...
'' says there is little evidence backing the story; whether the ride occurred has been questioned since at least 1956. Relatively unknown through the 1870s, Ludington became widely recognized around the time of World War II, after historic roadmarkers were placed in locations she was speculated to have visited on her ride. Memorial statues honor her, and books have been written about her. She was honored on a
United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
postage stamp that was released on March 25, 1975, which depicts her on a horse.


Early life, family and death

Ludington was born on April 5, 1761, in Fredericksburg, New York. She was the first of 12 children of Abigail and
Henry Ludington Henry Ludington (May 25, 1739 – January 24, 1817) was an American solider in the American Revolutionary War. He aided the effort by providing spies and was associated with John Jay in a ring of spies. Early life Ludington's father, Will ...
, a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
owner. According to his relatives, Sybil's father had fought in the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
, and volunteered to head the local militia during the Revolutionary War. At the age of 23, in 1784 Ludington married Edmond Ogden. They had a son named Henry in 1786. In 1792, the family settled in Catskill, and Ogden died in 1799. In 1811 Ludington moved to
Unadilla, New York Unadilla is a town in Otsego County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 4,392. The name is derived from an Iroquois word for "meeting place". Unadilla is located in the southwestern corner of the county, ...
. Hunt 2015, pp
189–190
Ludington lived in Unadilla until her death on February 26, 1839, at the age of 77. She was buried near her father in the Patterson Presbyterian Cemetery in
Patterson, New York Patterson is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The town is in the northeastern part of the county. Interstate 84 passes through the southwestern section of the town. The population was 11,541 at the 2020 census. The town is named ...
. Her tombstone shows a different spelling of her first name.


Ludington's ride

Modern accounts recognize Ludington as a heroine of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.Hunt 2015, pp
188, 212, 214


Historical accounts

Accounts originating from the
Ludington family The Ludington family was an American family active in the fields of business, banking, and politics. Members in the American Revolution were Henry Ludington and Sybil Ludington. Additionally, Lewis, James, Nelson, and Harrison Ludington were in ...
say Sybil played an important role during the British raid on
Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
. According to the story told decades later, on April 26, 1777, then 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode from her hometown in Fredericksburg, New York (near Danbury, Connecticut) through
Putnam County, New York Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,668. The county seat is Carmel. Putnam County formed in 1812 from Dutchess County and is named for Israel Putnam, a hero in the ...
, to rally approximately 400 militiamen under the command of her father, Colonel Henry Ludington, as British troops were burning Danbury, where the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
had a supply depot. Hunt 2015, p
187
Troops from New York and Connecticut rallied to engage the British the next day in the
Battle of Ridgefield The Battle of Ridgefield was a battle and a series of skirmishes between American and British forces during the American Revolutionary War. The main battle was fought in the village of Ridgefield, Connecticut, on April 27, 1777. More skirmishin ...
, and the British retreated. A brief mention of Ludington's ride was published by his grandchildren in 1907 as part of Ludington's father's memoirs.
Project Gutenberg file
.
Several modern accounts say Ludington was congratulated for her heroism by General George Washington; more recent scholarship has raised doubt that the ride even took place.


Research history

A 2022 '' Smithsonian'' magazine article written by Abigail Tucker states that the earliest known record of the 1777 account of Ludington's ride came in 1854 from Sybil's nephew, Charles H. Ludington, who sought to have his aunt recognized as a hero. Ludington was included in an 1880 book about the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
area by local historian Martha Lamb. A brief later reference appeared in the 1907 memoirs written by Willis Fletcher Johnson about Sybil's father and published privately by his grandchildren. Tucker states that letters written by Ludington herself do not mention the ride. Accounts vary as to whether she rode
bareback Bareback riding is a form of equestrianism, horseback riding without a saddle. It requires skill, balance, and coordination, as the rider does not have any equipment to compensate for errors of balance or skill. Proponents of bareback riding argu ...
or
sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way f ...
, what the name of the horse was, and how her name was spelled (Sybil, Cybal, Sibyl, Sebil, Sybille, or Sibbell). In 1838, Ludington asked for a pension based on her husband, Ogden, having fought in the Revolutionary War, but she could not prove that she was married to him. According to Paula Hunt, writing in ''
The New England Quarterly ''The New England Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal consisting of articles on New England's cultural, literary, political, and social history. The journal contains essays, interpretations of traditional texts, essay reviews and book r ...
'' journal, "None of the sworn affidavits attesting to Henry Ogden’s military service and the legitimacy of Sybil's marriage mentioned her ride, nor did she attempt to claim it as justification for a pension." Lamb stated that her account relied on sources including letters, sermons, genealogical compilations, wills, and court records to document details. She cites no sources, nor provides documentation of the ride. Hunt suggests the account may have been told to Lamb by Ludington's descendants. Owing partly to a lack of contemporary accounts, Hunt raises questions about the events. She writes that neither of the original publications about the ride "had offered any information about Sybil's course", and the purported route was devised speculatively by the project managers who later installed
historic marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
s, a "relatively inexpensive but increasingly popular means for states and localities to promote tourism". The installation of the historic roadside markers beginning in 1934 – although based on speculative locations according to Hunt – led to publications that propelled Sybil to the status of a heroine by 1937, and the publication of a 1940 poem about her brought the story to a national audience. Doubts about the story had been raised as early as 1956;Hunt 2015, p
220, note 114
contrasting it to the
Betsy Ross Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom;Addie Guthrie Weaver, ''"The Story of Our Flag..."'', 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73 January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn an ...
story, Hunt cites Henry Noble McCracken's, ''Old Dutchess Forever! The Story of an American County'' and two New York news articles from 1995, writing that:
In Sybil's case, the state-sanctified historical roadside markers, statue, and postage stamp celebrating her ride, and the many books and newspaper and magazine articles that retold her story, had created an aura of authority that effectively dispelled any intermittent bouts of skepticism.
Hunt has provided a history of how the Ludington story has been portrayed in the media and literature, and in efforts to promote tourism. Pollak wrote in 1975 in the ''New York Times'' that "Many children's books treat the account as historical fact", although the Putnam County Historian indicated there was "no solid evidence that Sybil actually made the ride". Hunt states that many popular details were
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
, such as the horse named Star, the stick she held, and the distance of 40 miles. Hunt states that the two accounts of Ludington's ride were not mentioned in any other significant history produced in the same era, and that even as stories of heroic women of the colonial era proliferated by the 1870s, the only published accounts of Ludington were Lamb's and Johnson's. She writes:
Sybil's ride embraces the mythical meanings and values expressed in the country's founding. As an individual, she represents Americans' persistent need to find and create heroes who embody prevalent attitudes and beliefs.Hunt 2015 pp. 187–222; quote p
187
Contemporaneous sources suggest that the patriot army – and the town of Danbury, Connecticut – were already aware of the approaching British troops, as noted in ''The New-York Gazette'' and the ''Weekly Mercury'', May 19, 1777, which stated:
On Saturday, the 26th of April, express came to Danbury from Brigadier General Silliman, advising that a large body of enemy had landed the day before at sun set, at Compo, a point of land between Fairfield and Norwalk, and were marching toward Danbury. Measures were immediately taken.
In 1996, the national
Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...
(DAR) said that the evidence was not strong enough to support their criteria for a war heroine, and added a note to an exhibition saying of the ride, "It's a great story, but there is no way to know whether or not it is true." The DAR chapter near her historic home says that her exploit was documented, and it continues to honor her. Hunt concludes, "The story of the lone, teenage girl riding for freedom, it seems, is simply too good not to be believed."


Legacy and honors

In 1934,
New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
began to install a number of historic markers along Ludington's purported route. A commemorative sculpture by
Anna Hyatt Huntington Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (March 10, 1876 – October 4, 1973) was an American sculptor who was among New York City's most prominent sculptors in the early 20th century. At a time when very few women were successful artists, she had a thrivi ...
was erected at
Lake Gleneida Lake Gleneida is a controlled lake in the hamlet of Carmel within the Town of Carmel in central Putnam County, New York. Originally a smaller natural water body, Shaw's Pond, it was dammed by New York City in 1870 and enlarged to for inclusion ...
near Carmel, New York, in 1961. Smaller versions of the statue are at the Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the public library in Danbury, Connecticut, and at
Brookgreen Gardens Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails thro ...
,
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina Murrells Inlet is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,547 at the 2010 census. It is about 13 miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and 21 miles north ...
. In 1975, Ludington was honored with a postage stamp in the "Contributors to the Cause"
United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
series. The
National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
instituted the Sybil Ludington Women's Freedom Award in 1995.Hunt 2015, p
214
Composer
Ludmila Ulehla Ludmila Ulehla (1923–2009) was an American composer and music educator. Biography Ludmila Ulehla was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. She began the study of piano and violin very early and wrote short compositions at the age of five. ...
wrote the 1993 chamber opera ''Sybil of the American Revolution'' based on the story of Ludington's ride. In 2014, Ludington was featured on the
American Heroes Channel American Heroes Channel (formerly Military Channel and originally Discovery Wings Channel) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries pr ...
documentary ''American Revolution: Patriots Rising''. The movie ''Sybil Ludington, The female Paul Revere'' was produced in 2010.


See also

*
Betsy Ross Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom;Addie Guthrie Weaver, ''"The Story of Our Flag..."'', 2nd Edition, A. G. Weaver, publ., 1898, p. 73 January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836), also known by her second and third married names, Ashburn an ...
– credited by relatives with making the first US flag; accounts dismissed by historians *
Laura Secord Laura Secord ( Ingersoll; 13 September 1775 – 17 October 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for having walked out of American-occupied territory in 1813 to warn British forces of an impending American atta ...
, heroine of
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ludington, Cybil 1761 births 1839 deaths Women in the American Revolution People of the Province of New York People of New York (state) in the American Revolution People from Dutchess County, New York People from Kent, New York Ludington family People from Catskill, New York