1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: You know, history is filled with stories about everyday people 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: who suddenly find themselves doing remarkable things. Paul Revere was 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: just a forty year old silversmith in Boston when he 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: wrote across the countryside to warn local militia in Massachusetts 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: about the arrival of British troops in seventeen seventy five. 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: But there's a lesser known story about a similar ride 7 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: warning Connecticut militia in seventeen seventy seven. However, this individual 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: was a sixteen year old girl. I'm Patti Steele the 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: Midnight Ride of Sybil Luddington. Next on the backstory, We're 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 1: back with the backstory. This episode, by the way, inspired 11 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: by backstory fan James Davy of Verona, New Jersey. Thank you, James. So. 12 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: Paul Revere was a forty year old silversmith in the 13 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: lead up to the Revolutionary War. A devoted member of 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: the Sons of Liberty, he organized an intelligence and alarm 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: system up an eye on British troops. In seventeen seventy five, 16 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: the drive toward independence was getting really hot. The Sons 17 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: of Liberty found out that the British had plans to 18 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: crack down on anybody supporting the revolutionary cause. They kept 19 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: an eye on British troop movements, but there was no 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: way to warn any militia members across Massachusetts other than 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: in person, so they set up a plan. Late on 22 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: the night of April eighteenth, seventeen seventy five, they put 23 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: everything into motion. The sexton at Boston's Old North Church 24 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: had been told to put one lantern in the steeple 25 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: if the British were attacking by land, too if they 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: were arriving on water. In this case, the British were 27 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: trying to quietly slip in via the Charles River. While 28 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: the two lanterns were only hung for about a minute, 29 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: they did the trick. Paul Revere then set out with 30 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: several others on the ride that readied the Continental troops, 31 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: telling forty more riders along the way to spread the word. Ultimately, 32 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: because they were ready, the Colonists beat the British at 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the Revolution. It 34 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: was a shock to the arrogant British military commanders. So 35 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: Paul Revere went on to fame and fortune as a silversmith, 36 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: a military leader, and an industrialist, and of course his 37 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: ride was forever remembered in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem Paul 38 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: Revere's Ride, also known as the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. 39 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: But there was another ride during the Revolution a couple 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: of years later in Connecticut. Though pretty much undocumented historically 41 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: except in family writings, it's the story of sixteen year 42 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: old Sybil Luttington, and it was given enough credence that 43 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: there were statues, historical plaques, and commemorative postage stamps created 44 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: in her honor. The story wasn't printed until one hundred 45 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: and forty years after the fact by the Luddington family 46 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: as they published the Memoirs of Sybil's father. It's April 47 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: twenty sixth, seventeen seventy seven. The British had attacked Danbury, Connecticut, 48 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: and they began to burn the city, where the Continental 49 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: Army had a supply depot. Sibyll's family lived nearby in Fredericksburg, 50 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: New York, but her father, Colonel Henry Luddington, was forty 51 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: miles away commanding four hundred militiamen. Once again, the only 52 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: way to warn the troops was in person. The story 53 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: goes that Sybil made an all night horseback ride. She 54 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: traveled twice as far as Paul Revere did, forty miles 55 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: on dirt roads in the pouring rain, facing attacks by 56 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: outlaws and capture by the British. Her ride through Putnam County, 57 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: New York was to rally militia forces in neighboring towns 58 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: after the burning of Danbury, Connecticut by the British. The 59 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: alerted troops from New York and Connecticut were ready for 60 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: the British the next day and took them on in 61 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: the Battle of Ridgefield. The British were forced to retreat. 62 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: But here's the question, did it really happen? History is 63 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: filled with undocumented story, largely because there weren't many ways 64 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: to document events for most of history. Right well as 65 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: far as Sibyl's ride goes, there are arguments on both sides. 66 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: Sybil herself never wrote about it, but she was known 67 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: as a modest, hard working woman who lost her husband 68 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: early in life and worked very hard as an innkeeper 69 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: in Catskill, New York to raise her son as a 70 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: single mother. Her son went on to become a prominent 71 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: lawyer and a New York State assemblyman. The first mention 72 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: of her heroic ride didn't come until eighteen fifty four. 73 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: It was from her nephew, Charles, who wanted his aunt 74 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: to be recognized as a hero for her Now, as 75 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: I mentioned later, in nineteen oh seven, there was a 76 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: brief ride up of her ride that was published by 77 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: descendants as part of Sibyl's father's memoirs, And there's even 78 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: word from other sources that she was congratulated for her 79 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: heroism by General George Washington and by Alexander Hamilton. Now, 80 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: those that dispute her story base it on a lack 81 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: of heard eva evidence. They say it never became a 82 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: story until decades after her death in eighteen thirty nine. 83 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: But here's the thing, a lot of similar stories about 84 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: the Revolution didn't really take off until the eighteen seventies, 85 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: when the United States was celebrating its centennial. Even Paul 86 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: Revere's ride got no traction until the release of Henry 87 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, written in eighteen sixty and heavily publicized 88 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: in the mid eighteen seventies. In fact, when Paul Revere 89 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: died in eighteen eighteen, there was no mention of his 90 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: midnight ride in his obituaries. The other argument about whether 91 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: Sybyl's ride took place comes from historians who say, along 92 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: with no hard proof, they also think the story, the monuments, 93 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: the plaques, and postage stamps commemorating her all arrived simply 94 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: thanks to New York and Connecticut pr types anxious to 95 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: encourage tourism. Her story really took off around World War II, 96 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 1: when New York State placed those histories road markers in 97 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: spots where they believe she likely visited on her ride. 98 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,239 Speaker 1: Sybil's myth grew, More statues were built in her honor, 99 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: books were written about her, and of course, there was 100 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: the United States Bicentennial postage stamp, which was released March 101 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: twenty fifth, nineteen seventy five. It shows Sybil galloping on 102 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: her horse, shouting to militia on a rainy night, with 103 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: fires burning in the background. It was part of Contributors 104 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: to the Cause, a set of four stamps from the 105 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: Postal Service recognizing unsung heroes. Did she do what some 106 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: say she did or was she a perfect subject for 107 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: a twenty century pr person working to beef up tourism? Well, 108 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: the bottom line is we all want to believe in possibilities. 109 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: The thought of a sixteen year old girl risking her 110 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: life to deliver an existential message inspires us. And when 111 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: you study the Founding fathers, you discover they weren't all 112 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: that much older than Sybil herself. James Monroe and the 113 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: Marquis de Lafayette were just eighteen in seventeen seventy six. 114 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were twenty and twenty one, 115 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: James Madison just twenty five, Thomas Jefferson was only thirty two. 116 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: All making folks in their early forties like John Adams, 117 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: George Washington, and Paul Revere looked positively ancient. And then 118 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: there was a guy who was everybody thought pretty ancient, 119 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: Ben Franklin. He was seventy years old that year. Sybil 120 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: Luddington's story tells us about courage, and what all these 121 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: people teach us is that having the guts to stand 122 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: up for what you believe in isn't about age or 123 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: even gender. It's about passion and determination. Again, I want 124 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: to thank our backstory listener, James Davy of Verona, New Jersey, 125 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: for suggesting this story. I hope you like the backstory 126 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: with Patty Steele. I would love it if you would say. 127 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: Subscribe or follow for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, 128 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: and feel free to DM me like James did if 129 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: you have a story you would like me to cover. 130 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 131 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, 132 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer 133 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new 134 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to reach out 135 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:35,359 Speaker 1: to me with comments and even story suggestions on Instagram 136 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. 137 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele, the 138 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.