March 7, 2022 – IT’S A THEME WEEK!

March is Women’s History Month, so it’s only fitting we do a theme week on 5 Fearless Females!
We’re starting out with Sybil Ludington, a heroine of the Revolutionary War whose story often gets overshadowed by the similar tale of Paul Revere. Sybil was just 16 years old, when on the evening of April 26, 1777, she made a 40-mile ride from her home in Putnam County, NY to warn around 400 militiamen that British troops were going to raid Danbury, Connecticut, where the Continental Army had a supply depot.
Her father was a colonel who had fought in the French and Indian War and volunteered to lead the local militia during the Revolutionary War. He received word that the British were heading to Danbury, but needed to stay put to rally the troops as they arrived. So he sent Sybil to rouse the troops, since she was familiar with the area and knew where the militiamen lived. She set out on her horse around 9 p.m., and used a stick to knock on doors along the way. She returned home at dawn, by which time most of the 400 soldiers were ready to march. The militia marched 17 miles to Ridgefield and took part in the battle there, which many historians consider to be a major victory for American troops.
Sybil’s ride took place 2 years after Paul Revere’s, but she rode twice as far! She was congratulated for her heroism by friends, family, and even George Washington. She’s been widely celebrated since around 1900, with memorial statues, books, and even a commemorative postage stamp. Learn more here.