বায়োগ্রাফি: Washington Irving. Washington Irving was a writer and known as the “first American man of letters.” He is best known for the short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” He was connected with the Romanticism movement. He was born to William Irving Sr., a petty officer in the British Navy and Sarah (née Saunders) in New York. Irving's mother named him after George Washington. Irving met his namesake at age 6 when George Washington was living in New York after his inauguration as President in 1789.