Henry Ludington
Henry Ludington sketch, circa 1800
Born(1738-05-25)May 25, 1738
Branford, Connecticut
DiedJanuary 24, 1817(1817-01-24) (aged 78)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Businessman, patriot, Colonel
Known forRole in American Revolution
Signature

Henry Ludington (May 25, 1739 – January 24, 1817) was an American soldier in the American Revolutionary War. He aided the effort by providing spies and was associated with John Jay in a ring of spies.

Early life

Ludington's father, William Ludington, was born in Branford, Connecticut, on September 6, 1702.[1] He married Mary Knowles in 1730.[2] Ludington was born in Branford on May 25, 1738[2] as the third of eight children.[3][4] His older sisters were Submit and Mary, and Lydia, Samuel, Rebecca, Anne, and Stephen were younger than him. He went to school in Branford and received an education typical for colonial towns of the 18th century.[4]

Military

Ludington enlisted in the local military in September 1756, at the age of seventeen. He was with Captain Foote's company of the Second Connecticut Regiment. He re-enlisted on April 19, 1756, served under Colonel Andrew Ward at Crown Point, and was discharged on November 13, 1756. He was called back again for fifteen days of service for the relief of Fort William Henry in August 1757. He re-enlisted on April 14, 1759, for the campaign of the Second Connecticut Regiment under Colonel Nathan Whiting and was a member of David Baldwin's Third Company. He served in the French and Indian War from 1755 to 1760 and was in the Battle of Lake George where he witnessed the death of his uncle and cousin.[5][6][2] He marched with the British and American troops to Canada and participated in the Battle of Quebec on September 13, 1759. He then proceeded from Boston to Branford, Connecticut, in the spring of 1760 and retired from the military.[7][2]

Ludington returned to civilian life and married his cousin Abigail on May 1, 1760. She was born on May 8, 1745, and was turning fifteen years old. They had twelve children, all born in Kent, New York, (then known as Philipse Upper Patent) and raised the family on a 229 acre farm.[7]

Sketch of gun used by Ludington in the French and Indian War

Ludington was commissioned a lieutenant in the British Colonial Army by King George II in recognition of his service. He resigned at the enactment of the Duties in American Colonies Act in 1765.[5] He was affiliated with George Washington's intelligence in the American Revolutionary War;[3][4][8] the military commander Nathaniel Sackett asked Ludington for help to furnish spies in Dutchess and Westchester Counties, New York, to gather information on British activities.[3]

February 14, 1777 letter from Nathaniel Sackett to Ludington

Ludington collaborated with Enoch Crosby, an American Revolutionary War soldier who worked in the same territory. A shoemaker by trade, while traveling for his trade Crosby was able to obtained critical information important to Washington.[9] Ludington aided Crosby with the objective to get information to American patriots. He also helped other spies, among them Benajah Tubbs and John Jay.[9]

Ludington tombstone

Death and legacy

Ludington died at the age of 78 on January 24, 1817 and was buried in the churchyard of the town's Presbyterian church.[10] The grave is marked with a tombstone that has a short inscription:[11]

H. L.

In Memory of
Henry Ludington
Jan. 24, 1817
Aged 78 years

His wife, Abigail, died at the age of 80 on August 3, 1825, and is buried beside him.[11]

Ludington's grist mill

Ludington was the grandfather of Harrison Ludington, who was the 12th governor of Wisconsin.[12] His daughter, Sybil Ludington,[13] has received widespread recognition for her role in a horseback ride to alert her father's Minute Men troops to meet the British army. A 2015 report in The New England Quarterly says there is little evidence backing the story;[14] whether the ride occurred has been questioned[15][16][17][18] since at least 1956.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Beers 1897, p. 977.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Beers 1905, p. 124.
  3. 1 2 3 Patrick 1907, p. 265.
  4. 1 2 3 Miller 1907, pp. 504–508.
  5. 1 2 De Forest 1926, p. 234.
  6. ↑ Pelletreau 1886, p. 691.
  7. 1 2 Patrick 1907, p. 266.
  8. ↑ Stevens, Maryanne (April 23, 1975). "Ludington History Live in Oak Park". News Journal-page 13. Chicago, Illinois – via newspapers.com Open access icon. Ludington was also in charge of the American secret service in New York, choosing the men, directing them and often hiding them in his house.
  9. 1 2 Patrick 1907, p. 270.
  10. ↑ Johnson 1907, p. 208.
  11. 1 2 Johnson 1907, p. 209.
  12. ↑ White 1904, p. 78.
  13. ↑ Johnson 1907, p. 45.
  14. ↑ Hunt, Paula D. (June 2015). "Sybil Ludington, the Female Paul Revere: The Making of a Revolutionary War Heroine". The New England Quarterly. 88 (2): 187–222. doi:10.1162/TNEQ_a_00452. ISSN 0028-4866. S2CID 57569643.
  15. ↑ Tucker, Abigail (March 2022). "Did the Midnight Ride of Sibyl Ludington Ever Happen?". Smithsonian. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  16. ↑ Eschner, Kat (April 26, 2017). "Was There Really a Teenage, Female Paul Revere?". Smithsonian. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  17. ↑ Lewis, Jone Johnson (August 15, 2019). "Sybil Ludington, Possible Female Paul Revere". ThoughtCo. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  18. ↑ Pollak, Michael (October 22, 1995). "Heroine of 1777 Still All in a Revolutionary Lather". New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  19. ↑ Hunt, Paula D. (2015). "Sybil Ludington, the Female Paul Revere: The Making of a Revolutionary War Heroine". The New England Quarterly. 88 (2): 187–222. doi:10.1162/TNEQ_a_00452. S2CID 57569643.

Sources

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