Sybil Ludington

Sybil (or Sibbell) Ludington (April 5, 1761 – February 26, 1839) was an alleged heroine of the American Revolution and daughter of Patriot colonel Henry Ludington. Relatives of Ludington have claimed that on April 26, 1777, at age 16, she made an all-night horseback ride 40 miles (64 km) to stir American militiamen to attack British forces near Danbury, Connecticut, though scholars largely reject this story. According to the legend, Ludington rode near the Connecticut–New York border after British forces raided and burned Danbury, rallying combatants for the Battle of Ridgefield the following day.

The legend and published accounts appeared only in the late 19th century, with Ludington often now described as a female Paul Revere. Printed accounts of Ludington's ride first appear in an 1880 local history and then a 1907 posthumous publication of her father's memoirs. A 2015 report in The New England Quarterly concludes there is little actual evidence backing the story, and whether the ride even occurred has been questioned since at least 1956.

Relatively unknown through the 19th century, Ludington's story gained recognition around the time of World War II, after New York State was convinced to place historic roadmarkers in locations she was speculated to have visited on her supposed ride. Attention to her story grew thereafter, from memorial statues honoring her, to books being written about her, culminating with being honored on a United States Bicentennial postage stamp that was released on March 25, 1975, which depicts her on a horse.