To the editor:
A recent insert in the Star-Herald reprinted the all-time iconic Christmas poem, originally published anonymously in 1823, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”) and credited it, as has been standard practice for over a century and a half, to a Rev. Clement Clarke Moore. I write to point out that this accreditation is very likely incorrect and the poem’s actual author, Major Henry Livingston, Jr., a former officer in the Continental Army in our revolutionary days, should be reinstated. How so? The evidence surfaced in the book “Author Unknown — On the Trail of Anonymous”, (2000) by Donald Foster, a well-known linguistic sleuth. He devoted the book’s final chapter, “Yes, Virginia, there WAS a Santa Claus” to unearthing the real author of this lovely children’s poem.
Foster’s story is a true whodunit that began quite unexpectedly. His research was meticulous. He wrote his fast-paced story with great insight, sprinkled with good humor, such that it makes a real page-turner for anyone caught up in the joyfulness of this holiday season. It’s too good a “read” to divulge the high points, so get hold of the book, and turn to Foster’s chapter 6. His story enhances the little poem’s Spirit of Christmas.
Perhaps the reason why this revelation hasn’t caught on more widely is to be found in entrenched patterns of supposed authorship being difficult to dislodge. I therefore urge you or any publisher who may reprint “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to credit its true author: the spirited, ebullient Major Henry Livingston, Jr., 1748-1828, of Poughkkeepsie, NY.
Presque Isle
