We were led to believe in our history lessons in grade school that on April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode through the night to warn that the British were coming. In fact, there were multiple riders that night who spread the message across the countryside. Of the multitude, there were three primary riders – Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott. If you are a Costco shopper, you might be thinking that if you could get three riders instead of just one, it would be better, because three is always better than one. And you would be correct, except for this…of the three, only Prescott reached Concord in time to warn the residents that British troops were approaching. You see, all three were captured by British sentries and detained. However, at some point, Prescott was able to jump his horse over a stone wall and escape. A short time later, Dawes also escaped, but fell off his horse and had to walk back to Boston. Right about now you might be questioning the “prisoner-taking” capabilities of the British soldiers. Maybe because Prescott and Dawes had escaped, the British guarded Revere more closely. We don’t know. What we do know is that he was eventually released, but without his horse. All three of the men helped the revolutionary cause that night, but Longfellow’s poem probably should have given the credit to Samuel Prescott. Or perhaps Longfellow could have written about a similar event that happened a couple of years later.
It’s April 26, 1777, two years after the rides of Revere, Dawes, and Prescott. On this night, another ride will take place, though it will not get the attention of a famous poet. The British are once again on the move, this time for the supply depot located in Danbury, Connecticut. If they capture the depot, it will be a major loss for the Patriot cause. The problem for the Americans though, is that planting season occurs in late April, and all of the men have returned home to their farms. Colonel Henry Ludington, the commander of the local militia, has to get word to his men that he needs for them to grab their guns and head back for battle. Borrowing a page from the Revere method of operations, he has to find a rider to make the grueling trip. With no real options outside of his own family, he enlists his oldest child, Sybil. She will have to be the one to make the 30-40 mile trip on horseback to call the militia to arms.
At 9:00 PM Sybil saddles up her horse and begins the journey to wake up the rag tag bunch of farmers turned soldiers. She rides from farm to farm, banging on doors and windows yelling instructions for them to meet at the Ludington farm. At around daybreak she arrives back home, with her mission complete. In a war that has seen its share of American disappointment, this will energize the revolution and see momentum shift. Except that it doesn’t. The awakened men do not reach Danbury in time. The British burn the supplies, including stockpiles of food, medicine, and clothes. From there, the British march to Ridgefield, where they meet some resistance from the Patriots. However, it is not until after the British start to return to the beach and their ships that Ludington’s company of militia arrive, and an ensuing skirmish occurs. Though not a full blown battle, the Americans do expedite the British troops’ return to their ships.
Though Sybil’s ride gets nowhere near the attention of Revere’s, it is such an important story on many levels. First, we don’t have enough examples of courageous women in our history books. While it’s true that the men she awakened did not make it in time to save Danbury, it does not in the least diminish her actions. To set out alone and ride in the rain through the night for miles and miles, while British soldiers monitored roads threatening to take captive anyone they thought looked suspicious, was a scary proposition. After all, they had a couple more years of “prisoner-taking” training under their belts. Add the fact she was a 16 year-old girl, and it makes the event even more incredible. Second, we should remember that courage, bravery, integrity, and character are not dependent on a specific outcome. The British still burned Danbury in spite of Sybil’s ride though the night. But her courage was on full display every minute of that ride. Third, heroes, especially the unknown ones, exceed explanation. A 16 year-old farm girl rides like the wind, defying the British empire. It should be front page news. No one would have ever believed a teenage girl capable of racing against all odds for the revolutionary cause, so instead of the front page, her story is rarely mentioned.
I’m reminded of what 1 Samuel 16:7 says – “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Sybil Ludington and Paul Revere could not have been more different from all outward appearances. But on the inside, they were both liberty-minded riders on a revolutionary mission. It’s a reminder, courage wears many faces…including that of a teenage girl.
Faith, Leadership, and History 