On April 26, 1777, a messenger arrived at the home of Henry Ludington, a farmer and militia leader living in Danbury, Connecticut. He brought word that troops from the colony’s British governor were attacking the town to root out revolutionaries. The militiamen had all dispersed to their farms for planting season and were spread throughout Putnam County, New York, miles away from town. As Henry made ready for battle, his 16-year-old daughter, Sibyl, volunteered to ride out to the farms to muster the men. According to local tales, Sibyl rode…
