Volume three of a three volume set In the delicate office of shifting, selecting, and arranging these different materials, extending through a period of nearly sixty years, it has been the aim of Pierre Irving to make the author, in every stage of his career, as far as possible, his own biographer and give to the world the truest picture of his life and character. Washington Irving (1783-1859) was an American writer remembered for the stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," contained in The Sketch Book (1819-1820). According to a story, George Washington met Irving, named after him, and gave his blessing. In the years to come Irving would write one of his greatest works, The Life of George Washington (1855-59).