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Women of Courage

They say that behind every successful & great man, is a good woman!

Since it’s Women in History Month, I am going to focus on a few stories around the women of the American Revolution. It is rare that you’ve heard the stories of many of these women.  But the popular stories You HAVE heard, are the stories of Martha Washington, Betsy Ross, and Abigail Adams. 

Martha Washington went to George Washington’s camps during the winter, to nurture and cook for her husband and the troops. She was there during the harsh winter at Valley forge. 

Betsy Ross made a patriot flag as directed by George Washington.

Abigail Adams, wrote many letters to her husband, President John Adams. She often spoke to her husband about women’s rights to vote and get an education.

Sybil Ludington

Sybil Ludington was the oldest of twelve children and worked hard to help care for her siblings. Her father was Colonel Henry Ludington, the leader of their local militia near Fredericksburg, New York.  On April 26, 1777, a messenger arrived at the Ludington’s house in the middle of the night. He told them that the British troops were attacking near Danbury, Connecticut. This messenger and his horse were too exhausted to continue to warn the soldiers.  He also did not know the area and terrain. Sybil knew where her father’s men could be found, and although dangerous, she got permission from her father to ride her horse and spread the news about the British Army.  Sybil traveled about 40 miles on her horse through rain and mud. Luckily, she didn’t meet any British troops along the way. As she passed the houses, she yelled; “Muster at Ludington’s”.  This meant the soldiers were to immediately meet at Colonel Ludington’s house. 

What effect did Sybil’s courage have?

1. The militia was able to force the British troops back to their ships

2.  She was known as the “Girl Paul Revere”.

3.  George Washington personally thanked her for her brave action

4. Her town was renamed; “Ludingtonville”

5. There is a statue of her on her horse in that city.

6. Each year, there is an event where people follow her route to remember her courage. 

Deborah Sampson

Deborah Sampson came from a family that was so poor, that the parents dispersed the children to different families as indentured servants. The Thomas family took Deborah in, and taught her reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Later on in life, when she finished her work for the Thomas family, she would use these skills she learned from them, and become a teacher herself. 

Deborah heard about the battles being fought in the American Revolution. She wanted to help the colonies, but the Continental Army would not allow women as soldiers. In 1782, Deborah disguised herself as a man. She called herself Robert Shurtleff. Private Deborah aka: Robert Shurtleff drilled, marched, and fought. In one skirmish, he was slashed by a saber. In another, he was shot in the thigh. He/SHE served courageously for eighteen months. She never allowed doctors to tend to her wounds, as she was afraid, they’d discover she was a woman. She suffered for the rest of her life from these wounds. 

Deborah, (Robert) fell sick with a fever, and this was the end of her army days, as the doctor discovered she was a woman. Later, Deborah would marry and have a family of her own. With Paul Revere’s help, she received payment for her service, and was recognized as a true soldier of the Continental Army. 

Prudence Wright

Prudence Wright overheard an old classmate; Leonard Whiting, tell her brother Samuel, about a message he needed to dispatch to the British. Her brother was a spy and Tory.  So, Prudence gathered many friends and neighbors, and told them they need to capture her brother before he got the message to the British. All the women dressed in their husbands’ clothes and set out with guns, pitchforks and whatever they could find. This was the first unit of minute women. At dark, the women, hid themselves and as the first hoofbeats came across the bridge, “HALT” Prudence yelled, and all the women came out dressed as patriots. The startled captain Whiting was ordered to dismount, and they searched his clothing, and there in his boot was a wad of papers and dispatches for the British troops. They caught their spy! They bound their prisoner and took him with the papers and turned him into the patriot authorities. 

Margaret Corbin

Margaret Corbin is another woman who courageously fought alongside her husband at the battle of Fort Washington, north of New York City. They were completely surrounded. The rest of the Continental Army had been driven away.  Margaret and her husband, John were among those patriots inside the fort. Margaret helped her husband load the cannon, but John was hit and killed by the British cannon fire. Margaret stepped into John’s place and began to load and fire the cannon herself. She too was wounded by the British cannon fire and was captured by the British. After a time being a prisoner of war, she was finally released by the British army. Her wound caused her to lose the use of her left arm. She received a pension from the army because of her injury and service. 

You might know this woman by her nickname; Molly Pitcher.

Elizabeth Hutchinson

Elizabeth Hutchinson became a widow at a young age, when her husband, Andrew died at age 29. Elizabeth delivered a baby boy three weeks later, and named him Andrew, after her husband. She now had to raise three boys alone: Hugh, Robert, and Andrew.  Times were tough, and Elizabeth’s sister, Jane Crawford, became an invalid. James Crawford invited Elizabeth and the three boys to come live with them and help take care of his wife, Jane. 

Elizabeth’s boys all wanted to join the patriots and fight in the American Revolution, along with the Crawford cousins. Hugh and Robert joined a Patriot regiment. Hugh died at the battle of Stono Ferry.  

Cornwallis launched an invasion and captured Charleston. One hundred soldiers died and several hundred were severely wounded. This massacre spread outrage with all the local settlements. In the late summer of 1780, British commander General Cornwallis gained an upper hand at the battle of Camden, which left the patriots in tatters. Andrew and his brother, Robert hid in the house of their relative, Thomas Crawford. British dragoons discovered them and began to destroy the house. Each of the boys received blows from the swords of British soldiers for refusing to clean their boots. They were taken as prisoners of war. 

Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson made arrangements for prisoner exchange and went and got her captured sons. She caught Cholera from the prison camps and died shortly after saving them. Robert died two days later and her son, Andrew, age 14, would be left an orphan with his whole immediate family gone. Andrew Jackson would eventually become a general of the southern army and he had many military triumphs, especially at the end of the War of 1812.  He was admired by many, and he became our 7th president of the United States. 

Women helped win the American Revolution in many ways.  Whether it was taking over the farms, businesses, espionage, sabotage, defiance, and rescue, these were courageous women who will never be forgotten. 

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