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Danbury part of Jeopardy question on 'Women & the American Revolution'

A Danbury heroine was the subject of a question on Jeopardy this week.  On Monday night, one of the categories was 'Women and the American Revolution".  The $1,000 question was "In April of 1777 Sybil Ludington pulled a Paul Revere-style all-night ride to tell of a British attack on Danbury in this state".  The answer, of course, was Connecticut.

 

 

Danbury was tapped as a supply depot in 1777 by the Continental forces.  That came to the attention of the British holding New York City, and they decided to raid Danbury and destroy the supply depot.  Colonial militia galvanized in NY to come to the aid of Danbury.

 

Sybil Ludington, at the direction of her father, helped raise his militia units and rode through the night alerting the men that Danbury was being raided.  They were told to gather at Ludington Farm the next day to march to Danbury and repel the British.

 

Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Brigid Guertin says Sybil was about 15 years old and considered a local heroine for her actions that night.  Her father's men arrived in Danbury to find the British in retreat through Ridgebury down to the coast.  They helped chased the British away.

 

There is a poem about Sybil's efforts, similar to the poem about Paul Revere's ride.  Guertin says it does have some fictional elements too it, but Sybil was a real person who did real work during the Revolutionary War.

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Dave Rinelli

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