The Headless Hessian of Tarrytown

Long before Washington Irving immortalized him in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” residents of the Tarrytown area reported a headless horseman riding through the night. The ghost is said to be a Hessian mercenary killed during the American Revolution.

The Origin

During the Revolutionary War, German mercenaries called Hessians fought for the British. Local tradition holds that during fighting near Tarrytown, a Hessian trooper was decapitated by a cannonball. His headless body was buried in the churchyard of the Old Dutch Church.

The Sightings

Colonial era accounts describe a headless figure on horseback galloping along the roads at night. The apparition rides with impossible speed and vanishes near the church. Some witnesses reported the figure carrying its head under its arm.

The Irving Effect

Washington Irving lived in the area and collected these local legends for his 1820 story. His fictional account, featuring Ichabod Crane’s pursuit, became inseparable from the genuine folk tradition. Distinguishing original legend from Irving’s embellishments is now impossible.

Modern Encounters

Contemporary witnesses continue to report strange experiences. Phantom hoofbeats echo on roads near the Old Dutch Church. Cold spots mark the horseman’s traditional route. Photographs occasionally capture unexplained dark shapes.

The Church

The Old Dutch Church, built in 1685, stands at the center of horseman territory. The adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery contains the graves of Washington Irving and other notable figures. Paranormal activity is regularly reported throughout the grounds.

Assessment

The Headless Horseman represents American folklore made manifest. Whether genuine ghost, literary creation, or self-fulfilling legend, something continues to ride through Sleepy Hollow’s night.