A Confederate soldier forever lost at Cumberland Gap, the wispy woman of Roanoke College and the spectral horse that runs the streets of Abingdon are among the restless spirits of southwestern Virginia. Join local author Joe Tennis as he takes readers on both sides of the Blue Ridge to explore the ghostly tales of Appalachia and the Crooked Road. Peer over the rim of the New Castle Murder Hole, dive into the mysteries of Mountain Lake and wander among the lost graves of Wise County to discover the haunted lore of Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands.This book bridges the Blue Ridge Parkway and follows the entire length of the Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. It explores a couple dozen counties, with tales of towns called Fincastle and Saltville tucked away in Virginia's scenic southwestern corner. Each chapter is based on a blend of folk legends, longtime traditions, historical research and firsthand accounts.A bibliography is included, along with a map and 45 photographs. "Joe Tennis has produced an interesting collection of Southwest Virginia ghost stories." -- George Kegley, Roanoke Star-Sentinel, October 2010 "It’s packed with photographs and a good bibliography. These mysterious tales of our very own region are a fine way to learn some history: from Bedford, through Greater Salem, all the way to the Breaks Interstate Park and Cumberland Gap." - Emily Paine Carter, The Roanoke Times, October 2010 "One such personal experience is recounted at the end of this new book that offers a new perspective to what readers by that point have seen as a journalist’s detached approach to his stories." -- Dan Kegley, Smyth County News, September 2010 "History and the haunted converge within the captivating 'Haunts of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands.'" -- Tom Netherland, Bristol Herald Courier, October 2010 Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands holds a wonder of waterfalls, rocky canyons and mile-high mountains. Scenic villages called Woolwine and Meadows of Dan share the skyline of the Blue Ridge. Yet also lacing this landscape is a labyrinth of legends - in caves, colleges and historic homes. Schools across this region have collected ghost tales at the college campuses of Radford, Salem, Emory and Wise. The old Christiansburg Middle Schools bears the century-old legend of the Black Sisters while, in Abingdon, multiple stories told of the Civil War relate to the old Martha Washington College for Women, now known as the Martha Washington Inn. Across a maze of mountains and along The Crooked Road, phantom voices whisper, and strange footsteps echo down long-forgotten paths. Joe Tennis, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a longtime collector of history and folklore of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands. A Radford University graduate, Joe has contributed articles and photos to Blue Ridge Country, Bristol Herald Courier, the Roanoke Times, the Virginian-Pilot, Kingsport Times-News and Appalachian Voice. He has also written for Virginia Living. The author’s other books include Beach to Bluegrass, Southwest Virginia Crossroads, Sullivan County Tennessee and The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Tennessee and Virginia Haunts of Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands By Joe Tennis The History Press Copyright © 2010 Joe Tennis All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-59629-988-7 Contents Acknowledgements, Introduction, Heart of Appalachia, The Last Rebel: Cudjo's Cave — Cumberland Gap, Lee County, Echoes of War: Sugar Run, Lee County, Standing on the Rock: Powell River, Wise County, Song in the Breeze: Country Cabin of Norton — Josephine, Wise County, Curse of the Coffin: University of Virginia's College at Wise — Wise, Wise County, Gone but Not Forgotten: Breaks Interstate Park — Breaks, Dickenson and Buchanan Counties, Claypool Cross: Cedar Bluff, Tazewell County, Ghosts of Greystone: Greystone Bed and Breakfast — St. Paul, Russell County, Holston Valley, Spooky Sam: U.S. Highway 58 — Hiltons, Scott County, Bridge Over Troubled Water: North Fork of Holston River — Mendota, Washington County, Waiting for a Train: Bristol Train Station — Bristol, Ghostly Gallop: Martha Washington Inn, 150 West Main Street — Abingdon, Washington County, What Beckons at Byars: Emory & Henry College — Emory, Washington County, Spookiness of Saltville: Madam Russell Memorial United Methodist Church — Saltville, Smyth County, Central Highlands, The Indians Are Laughing: Wolf Creek Indian Village — Bastian, Bland County, Ghosts in the Ghost Town: Virginia City, U.S. Highway 52 — Wytheville, Wythe County, What's Your Name: Major Graham Mansion — Grahams Forge, Wythe County, The Journey's End: Davis-Bourne Inn — Independence, Grayson County, Early Morning: Early — Hillsville, Carroll County, New River Valley, Bark at the Moon: Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve — Buffalo Mountain, Floyd County, Legend of Willie Jack: Camp Alta Mons — Shawsville, Montgomery County, Back in Black: Old Christiansburg Middle School, 208