Winchester gazette. [volume] (Winchester, Va.) 18??-1826, 1821-11-10
From the Sketch Book.
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

FROM the sketch Book.
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
Found among tie papers of the iate Died.
rick Knicker6ocker.)
A pseasing land of drswsy head il was,
or dreams that wave before the hail. shut eve:
And OF gay castles in the clouds that pass,
Forever Hu,hing round summer sky.
CASTLE er iNDoLENcE.
In the bosom at one Of the spacious
coves which indent the eastern shore
of the Hudson, at that broad expansion
OF the river denou.inated by the an
cient Dutch nnviga,ors the Tappau
Zee, aud where they always prudently
shortened sail, and implored the pro-
lection OF st. Nicholas winch they eros
sed, there lies email town or rural
port, which by some is called Green's
burgh, but which is more universally
and properly known. by the name Of
larry Town. This name was given
il we are told, in former days, by the
good housewives Of the adjacent coua-
try, from the inveterate propensity Of
their husbands to linger about the vii.
laye tavern on market days. Be that
as it may, do not vouch for the fact,
but merely advert to it, for the sake of
being precise. Not far from this viii
lage, perhaps about three miles, there
Is little valley, or rather lap of lands
among high hills, which is one Of the
quietest places in the whole world. A
small brook sIiies through it, with
just murmnr euuugh to 'ull you to re-
pose, and the occasional whistle Of e
mail, OF tapping of n wood pec,1er, is
al@ost the only sound that ever breaks
In upon the uniform tranquility.
recol!ect that when a STRIPPING, my
first exploit in Squirrel shooting was
in grove of tall walnut trees that
shade one side Of the valley. l had
wandered into 1t at noon time, W hen all
nature is peculiarly quiet, and was
startled by the roar of my own gun, as
il broke the sabbath stiffness around.
aad was pr ionged and reverbsrated
by the angry echoes. Ii ever shuui,i
wish for retreat, whittier | might
steal from the world & its distractions,
and dream quietly away the remnant
of troubled life. know Of none msre
promising than this little valley.
From the listless repose Of the place,
and the peculiar character of its inha.
bitants, who are descendants from the
original Dutch settlers, this sequester-
ed glen has long been known by the
name of Sleepy Hollow, and its rustic
lads are called the Sleepy Hoiinw
Boys throughout all the neighboring
country. A dr0wsy, dreamy influences
seems to hang over the land, and per.
wade the Very atmosphere. Some say
hat the place was bewi.ched by high
German doetor during the early day.
Of the settlement; others, chat an old
Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of
his tribe, held his powwows there be-
fore the country was discovered by
Master HeDdrick Hudson. Certain i,
IL, the place still continues under
The sway Of some wiichins pow.
er, that holds a spell over the minds of
the good people, causing them to walk
IN continual reverie. They are Civ.
en- to n!i kinds of marvellous beliefs;
have frances and visions, and sea
strange sights, and hear music and
voices in the air. The whole neighbor.
hood abonn6s with local tales, haunted
spots, and twilight superstitions; stars
shoot and metecrs glare ofiener aeross
the valley than in an3 other part of
the country, Gnd the night mare, with
her nine fold. seems to make il the
favorite scene of her gambols.
The dominant spirit however, that
hannts this enchanted region, and
seems to be commander of all the pow
ers of the air, is the aPpari,ion of u f.
cure on horseback without head. r.
Is said ny some to be the ghost of a
Hessian trooper, whose head had been
carried away by cannon ball in some
uameiess battle during the revolution.
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