Sybil Ludington

Sybil Ludington (April 5, 1761 – February 26, 1839), daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, was a heroine of the American Revolutionary War who, mounted on her horse, Star, became famous for her night ride on April 26, 1777 to alert rebel forces to the approach of the British regular forces. Her action was similar to that performed by Jack Jouett or Paul Revere, although she rode more than twice the distance of Revere and was only 16 years old at the time of her action. She was an aunt of Harrison Ludington, a Governor of Wisconsin.

Childhood

Sybil was born at Fredericksburg (now Ludingtonville), Kent, New York. Sybil’s family was important to her, especially because she was the eldest of twelve children. Sybil’s mother, Abigail Knowles Ludington, married her first cousin Henry Ludington after meeting during the French and Indian War. A year after the couple married, they conceived a daughter named Sybil. The small family moved to Duchess County, New York where the Ludington family expanded. The Ludington family lived on a very large piece of land where they grew crops and ran a farm.