in the gloom by of night
It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper , whose head had been carried away by a cannon ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk, hurrying along in the gloom by of night, as if on the wings of the wind.
from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
I understand "in the gloom of night", but "by"? Is it grammatically wrong?

Question

in the gloom by of night
It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper , whose head had been carried away by a cannon ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk, hurrying along in the gloom by of night, as if on the wings of the wind.
                        from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
I understand "in the gloom of night", but "by"? Is it grammatically wrong?

Answer

I just looked this up and I believe the source of your extract is mistaken

"hurrying along in the gloom OF THE night as if on the wings of the wind."

Answer

I agree. It's a transcription error. "Gloom of by night" does not make sense. My source says "gloom of night," which is also what I would have guessed.

Here's an actual page image from an 1893 edition:

http://tinyurl.com/nl4y7as

Here's the whole story, as text:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm

"It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War, and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind."