Baltus Van Tassel in 1799.
Baltus Van Tassel (1740-1799) was a Dutch-American resident, mayor and landowner of the legendary town of Sleepy Hollow.
Biography[]
Baltus van Tassel was born in 1740 in Sleepy Hollow. He married Elizabeth Van Tassel and had a daughter named Katrina in 1780. His family worked for Peter Van Garret, the local landowner of Sleepy Hollow, Van Tassel became Van Garret's right-hand man and one of his heirs. His wife Elizabeth went ill, and she died. Baltus married with Mary Archer, the nurse who took care of Elizabeth. In 1799, Van Garret, his son Dirk Van Garrett and her wife Emily Winship were supposedly killed by The Headless Horseman. As a result, the authorities of New York City sent Ichabod Crane to investigate the case. Baltus was supposedly killed by this Horseman when he impaled him with a spear and then dragged him outside to a fence post and then finished him off by decapitating him with his sword as Ichabod Crane and Katrina watched in horror.