Sybil Ludington’s Midnight Ride
Paul Revere ain’t got nothin‘ on Sybil, except a publicist that made him famous.
Sybil’s father was the leader of local militiamen in the Kent New York area. When word finally reached him British forces were destroying homes of revolutionists a mere 8 miles away, the messengers were exhausted. 16 year old Sybil, eager to please her father and aid the cause, volunteered to gather soldiers to fight. She rode 40 miles in the freezing rain and darkness, entirely alone, beating on doors with a stick, her only weapon. For reference, Paul Revere rode 20 miles, and wasn’t alone the entire journey.
She successfully rounded up over 200 fighters, directly attributing to the retreat of the British in the area. George Washington later came to Kent to thank Sybil personally.
My inspiration for this post is an episode of one of my favorite comedy shows, “Drunk History”. https://youtu.be/O4rnjV-GORg
What a badass.