10c Sybil Ludington stamp

Like Paul Revere before her, Sybil Ludington (1761-1839) rode through the night to call the American militia to arms in defense of liberty. On the night of April 26, 1777, word reached the home of Sybil Ludington that the British were burning Danbury, Connecticut, a near-by town. At age sixteen, she rode her horse on a midnight ride to alert the Minutemen that British Redcoats were burning Danbury. Her father was a colonel in the local militia, and his men were scattered over a wide area. Sybil convinced her father to let her ride and summon the men. She rode on horseback over forty miles on dark, unmarked roads to spread the alert.

Scott Catalogue USA: 1559

Museum ID: 1980.2493.6020