".
A few months later, Irving was out of the emotional slump and back to writing. In December of 1809, his work "A History of New York, from the beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty" was published. However, the public did not know it was published by Washington Irving. They believed that it was written by an inquisitive little gentleman named Diedrech Knickerbocker, who had disappeared, leaving behind him the manuscript of this "only authentic story of the times that hath been or ever will be published." This is exactly what Irving wanted the public to think. The term "Knickerbocker" later became a term frequently used in New York, referring to someone who could trace their family to the Dutch Dynasty. Some of the facts in this book were false and dates were off, but Irving was pleased with the outcome of the work that he had published at the young age of twenty-six. .
In 1814 Irving was the Colonel in the New York Militia. In 1818 he was offered the position of undersecretary of the United States Navy. However, despite the military, Irving was still writing. In the years 1819-1820 Irving published his newest work "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." Geoffrey Crayon, like Diedrich Knickerbocker, was another pseudonym for Washington Irving. The book was on 93 pages on gray-brown paper, and contained numerous essays and sketches. There were many sketches about American themes, two were about Indians, however, there were much more about England than there were about America. There were over 20 essays about England, each on subjects such as descriptions of London scenes and celebrating old-time Christmas festivities. Four out of the five sketches were well-done, but commonplace. However the fifth one of Rip Van Winkle wasn't as greatly done. Six more volumes were published in New York and in early 1820, Irving arranged for a complete London edition, done at his own expense.
