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Primary sourcePhotograph

Sybil Ludington Grave

Anthony22

The gravestone of Sybil Ludington in Patterson, New York, inscribed with her name spelled 'Sibbell' and marking her death in 1839.

Her own gravestone, carved with the variant spelling 'Sibbell', is direct physical evidence of her life and death.

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Photo of an upright gray granite gravestone in a grassy cemetery with lichen spots. The inscription reads: In Memory of Sibbell Ludington, Wife of Edmond Ogden, Who Died Feb. 26, 1839, aged 77 years 19 months and 21 days. Two small American flags stand at its base. Other headstones, bare trees, and a white house appear behind it.
Gravestone of Sybil ('Sibbell') Ludington, Patterson, New York. Photograph by Anthony22.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a gray granite gravestone standing in a cemetery in Patterson, New York. The stone's inscription records that 'Sibbell Ludington', wife of Edmond Ogden, died on 26 February 1839 at the age of 77 years, 19 months, and 21 days.

Why it matters

This is a rare piece of direct physical evidence for Sybil Ludington's real existence, marriage, and lifespan. The spelling 'Sibbell' on the stone shows how unstable personal name spellings were in this period, and reminds students that her name appears in many different forms across historical records.

Look closer

  • Why might the name on the stone be spelled differently from the common modern spelling?
  • What does a gravestone tell us that a book or legend cannot?
  • What is missing from this stone that you might expect on a monument to a 'heroine'?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sybil Ludington on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Secondary source

Sybil Ludington's Statue

Anna Hyatt Huntington

A white clapboard colonial-era house with gray shingled roof, multiple dormer windows, two red brick chimneys, and a white picket fence in front. A small sign hangs near the entrance. Tall green trees stand behind, under a blue sky.Artifact

Primary source

Keeler Tavern

1713

A plain blue cloth book cover with a fine woven texture and no visible title, lettering, or ornament. The spine edge is visible along the left side.Book

Secondary source

History of the City of New York: Its Origin, Rise, and Progress (vol. 2)

Martha J. Lamb · 1880

Book

Secondary source

The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution

Benson J. Lossing · 1850–1852

Dark green book cover with a gold double-line border. Gold serif title reads COLONEL HENRY LUDINGTON, with the subtitle A Memoir in smaller gold script beneath it.Book

Secondary source

Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir

Willis Fletcher Johnson · 1907

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