What is the history of the headless horseman?

Answer 1

The man who became the headless horseman was hessian mercenary hired by the british army in 1776 in order to assist british soldiers in the revolutionary war. Among the 548 hessian mercenaries who lost their lives in that war, he was killed in battle near Sleep Hollow, New York when his head was blown off by a cannon ball. According to later local legend, the horseman return in spirit form to take the heads of the living.