Who chased Ichabod crane in the legend of sleepy hollow?

In Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod Crane is famously chased by the Headless Horseman, a ghostly figure said to be the spirit of a Hessian soldier who lost his head during the Revolutionary War. The terrifying pursuit occurs as Ichabod rides home one night, believing he is being hunted by this spectral foe. The chase culminates in a dramatic confrontation at a bridge, where Ichabod's fate is left ambiguous, adding to the story's eerie atmosphere.