A Visit from St. Nicholas A Visit from St. Nicholas "A Visit from St. Nicholas", more commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. Some commentators now believe the poem was written by Henry Livingston Jr.. The poem has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American" and is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. It has had a massive impact on the
Nicholas Ruxton Moore Nicholas Ruxton Moore Nicholas Ruxton Moore (July 21, 1756October 7, 1816) was a U.S. Representative from Maryland. Born near Baltimore, Maryland, Moore attended the common schools. He served as a member of Gist's Baltimore Independent Cadets and served throughout the greater part of the Revolutionary War, attaining the rank of captain. He served as the commander of the "Baltimore Light Dragoons" during the conflict. While in service, Moore wrote to George Washington to request an acceptance of his resignation from the Army; George Washington, through a letter written by James McHenry, granted permission for Moore to resign provided he had