I enjoyed a quick visit today to one of my favorite statues, Sybil Ludington, in Carmel, NY alongside Lake Gleneida.

The creatrix, Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973), was among the foremost women sculptors in the United States to have undertaken significant, publicly commissioned works, and she had a thriving career. Her work is in major museums including the MET, and her famous Joan of Arc stands at the intersection of Riverside Drive and 93rd St in NYC.

Her statue of 16-year-old Sybil Ludington and her horse, Star,  commemorates the young girl’s 1777 ride of forty miles during a stormy night to muster the local militia in response to the British burning of Danbury, Connecticut. Her bravery helped turn the tide of the war, and she was honored with a visit by General Washington to thank her for her service.

For comparison: Paul Revere only rode 16 miles (likely somewhat inebriated since he had stopped at a tavern) and he got captured by the British before he got to his destination–details that Longfellow didn’t include in his famous poem!

Sybil’s heroism became more well known after the DAR commissioned this equestrian statue from Huntington in 1961.

The statue is located on Sybil’s route – which happens to pass right by my parents’ cemetery!