spirit. Their courage had returned,
for was not the Great Spirit on their side? The braves quickly took
positions on the bridge, each feeling he stood on sacred ground, and
like the Greeks of old at Thermopylae they turned and faced their enemy
and fought victoriously. From that day, we are told, they called it "The
Bridge of God" and worshipped it.

The first white man to own Natural Bridge was Thomas Jefferson, and one
may see the original land grant still hanging on the walls of Monticello
which reads, in part:

"Know ye that for divers good causes and considerations, but
more Especially for and in Consideration of the sum of Twenty
Shillings of good and lawful money for our use paid to our
Receiver General of our Revenues, in this our Colony and
Dominion of Virginia, We have Given, Granted and Confirmed, and
by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, Do give,
Grant and confirm unto Thomas Jefferson, one certain Tract or
parcel of land, containing 157 acres, lying and being in the
County of Botetourt, including the Natural Bridge on Cedar
Creek, a branch of James River ..."

We are told that George Washington surveyed the land in 1750, and while
there he climbed up 23 feet and carved his initials "G. W." on the
southeast walls; the guide today will try to point them out to the
visitor. A story is also told that George Washington threw a stone from
the bottom of Cedar Creek over the Bridge. Evidently he liked to test
his strength by such sports, for it is said that he threw a Spanish
dollar across the Rappahannock River opposite the town of
Fredericksburg.

When this story was told to the late President Cleveland, he replied, "I
do not know about that, but I am well assured he threw a sovereign
across the Atlantic."

In 1927 another stone was found which scientists think proved George
Washington surveyed that territory. This stone is a large one and also
bears his initials which are engraved in a surveyor's cross. Evidently
he measured the height of the Bridge by dropping a line from the edge of
the bridge to the cross below.

Thomas Jefferson called his purchase the "most Sublime of Nature's
works." He visited it many times and during his presidency, in 1802, he
surveyed the place with his own hands. He later built a log cabin which
contained two rooms and one of them was always kept ready for a visitor.
Many famous people visited there and the list i