Did You Know a Teenage Girl Rode Farther Than Paul Revere?

When you think of midnight rides during the American Revolution, Paul Revere usually comes to mind. But few people know about Sybil Ludington, a 16-year-old girl who outdid him in both distance and daring.  
On the night of April 26, 1777, British troops began marching toward Danbury, Connecticut, to destroy a cache of Continental Army supplies. A messenger reached the Ludington home in Putnam County, New York, where her father, Colonel Henry Ludington, was in command of the local militia.  But there was a problem — the men were scattered across the countryside, unaware of the advancing enemy.  Sybil sprang into action.  She mounted her horse and rode over 40 miles — nearly twice the distance Paul Revere covered — through rain and darkness, across backwoods roads, waking militiamen and urging them to fight. She had no escort and no clear path, just courage, determination, and a mission to protect her homeland.  Thanks to her efforts, hundreds of men rallied to defend against the British raid.  Unlike Revere, Sybil wasn’t immortalized in poetry — but her ride was arguably more heroic. She faced the same dangers without the fame, and at just 16 years old, she made a lasting impact on the Revolutionary War.  Today, statues and plaques honor her in New York and Connecticut, but her story remains one of America’s greatest hidden acts of patriotism.