On the night of April 26, 1777, at age 16, Sybil Lundington and her family received word that British troops had begun burning Danbury, CT which was only 25 miles away. Her father’s troops were scattered over a large area around the house, and Sybil convinced her father to let her ride to warn them. Her 40-mile ride was twice as long as Revere’s but unfortunately, did not rally troops fast enough to save Danbury. However, the troops were able to drive General William Tryon and the rest of his British troops to Long Island Sound.
During the Bicentennial, Sybil Ludington was celebrated in a commemorative stamp as a “Contributor to the Cause”. Unfortunately, the stamp never said what she did! By the way—look at the price on the stamp! How times have changed. Today someone might become a hero if they tweet fast enough about danger!
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