HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.

church-yard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle, in nightly quest of his head, and that the rushing speed with which he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is owing to his being belated and in a hurry to get back to the church-yard before daybreak."

Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition. The spectre is known by the name of the' "Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollo7o."a

The bridge so famous in goblin story, crossed the Hollow a few yards east of the present structure ; the road having been altered within a few years.

A little north of Sleepy Hollow church, lies the Beeckman forest, an entensive tract of woodland, ranging principally east and west of the Albany post-road. These woods formerly covered a much larger district of country, and abounded in fine timber; while the thickets and glades served as a favorite haunt for large herds of wild deer. The perpetual harrassing of this noble game, in spite of fines and imprisonment, has long ago exterminated the whole race in this country. In the year 1705, (to prevent, if possible, their entire destruction,) it was enacted by the governor, council, and general assembly, " that whosoever within the County of Westchester, Christian or Indian, freeman or slave, after the first day of January, which will be in the year of our Lord, 1705, shall kill or destroy any buck, doe or fawn, or any sort of deer whatsoever, at any time of the year, except only between the first day of August and the first day of January, shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty shillings lawful money of New York, or in default thereof, suffer imprisonment for the time and space of twenty days without bail or mainprise ; and all dogs also found chasing deer, to be shot during those times."6