Unheralded Heroes, American Revolution Bicentennial

Front:
REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATING Unheralded Heroes Rit Contribulers To The Ciuse Contribuțers US. To The FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM Câuse. 76 Madinton Youthful Heroine Sybil Ludington Youthful Heroine 25 1975 FIRST DAY OF ISSUE 10512 SYBIL LUDINGTON FREEDOM'S HEROINE RIDER Heetwood philadelphia 1975 Series OFFICIAL First Day Cover PHILADELPHIA'76

Back:
SYBIL LUDINGTON (1761-1839) YOUTHFUL HEROINE During the evening of April 26, 1777, Sybil Ludington's father, a Revolutionary War Colonel, learned that British General Tryon's troops were burning and sacking nearby Danbury, Connecticut. It was imperative that her father's regiment be assembled immediately. With no other messenger available, 16-year-old Sybil donned her father's outsize trousers, mounted her horse Star, and bravely galloped off into the rainswept night. She splashed through thirty or more miles crying out, “The British are burning Danbury. Muster at Ludington's!” Four hundred troops gathered, and at dawn they moved out. Too late to save Danbury, they did force General Tryon to retreat, and he lost a tenth of his men in the process. Sybil's famous ride may be retraced from Carmel to Stormville, New York, by following New York State markers.