The Greenbrier is located in the southeastern part of the state, near Lewisburg. It's not really a long drive as we arrived in town in about 2 1/2 hours. That gave us time to relax and look around. A
We also had time to find another place we had heard about and wanted to see: the gravesite for 95 Confederate soldiers killed in the Battle of Lewisburg. The cemetery is in an out-of-the-way place and we were grateful for two kind ladies who gave us directions to the spot. What makes this cemetery unique is that the mass grave is arranged in the shape of the cross. Originally these men were buried on the campus of the old Greenbrier College, in a long trench, but were moved when the main route through town, US Route 60, was relocated. Some reports say that the bodies were "unceremoniously dumped" into the trench. It's a touching, sad place, but it was reassuring to see that this final resting place was being carefully tended.
A third place I wanted to see was the Old Stone Church, built in 1796. The church was used as a makeshift hospital during and after the battle; there are several Union graves in the surrounding cemetery. My reason for wanting to see the church was not about the war, however; there are two ghost stories I tell with connections to this church. More about that in a later post.
It was a satisfying afternoon, ending with a stop at the Irish Pub in the heart of town. I'd often heard about this place, so we were delighted to see it in person. As it happened, an Irish musician was playing when we got there--even better!
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