April, 1777. Ten months earlier, America had declared its independence in Philadelphia. But since then, things had not gone well for the American cause. General Washington and his Continental Army had been chased from place to place, out of New York and then across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. Washington made a valiant surprise attack at Trenton on December 25, 1776 and scored one of his few victories. As Thomas Paine had written, “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

One of those “winter soldiers” was a young girl just turned 16. On April 26, 1777, she helped, in her small way, to save the American cause, serving as a female Paul Revere. That night, a weary rider arrived at the Ludington household. Her father, Henry, was a colonel in the local New York militia. The rider brought dire news: the British were attacking nearby Danbury, now ablaze. It was clear someone needed to alert the local militia and rally them to confront the British. But the rider and his horse were too weary from their long ride to go much further; they also did not know the local area. Colonel Ludington asked his oldest daughter, Sybil, a master horsewoman, if she would take up the challenge. Without a moment’s hesitation, she headed for the barn to saddle up.

Sybil would ride through the cold, rainy night–covering over 40 miles–several times eluding British patrols. By daybreak, more than 400 men, alerted by Sybil’s ride, gathered at the Ludington home to march against the British. They confronted the British at the Battle of Ridgefield (Conn.), forcing the British to retreat to their ships in Fairfield and head back to Long Island. In recognition of her brave deed, Gen. George Washington visited Sybil to thank her personally.

LESSONS: Through Sybil, we can come to understand the causes of the American Revolution as well as the issues that confronted the young nation as it sought to become a nation rather than a loose confederation of states. We will also gain an understanding of the many Americans who still felt loyal to the Crown and opposed the Revolution, which they viewed as a leap into anarchy and the unknown.

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