A History of Kentucky Baptists From 1769 to 1885, Including More Than 
800 Biographical Sketches, J. H. Spencer, Manuscript Revised and 
Corrected by Mrs. Burilla B. Spencer, In Two Volumes.  Printed For the 
Author.  1886.  Republished By Church History Research & Archives 1976 
Lafayette, Tennessee. Vol. 2, pp. 23-24  [Woodford County]

RICHARD CAVE was one of the pioneer preachers of central Kentucky, and 
was very useful among the early settlers.  He was the son of Captain 
Benjamin Cave of Orange county, Virginia, where he was born not far from 
the year 1750.  At an early age, he was led to Christ, under the 
preaching of the famous Samuel Harris and James Read, and united with 
Upper Spottsylvania [sic] church.  He was set apart to the ministry, by 
this church, while he was quite young.  After preaching a few years in 
his native county, he followed Lewis Craig, whose sister he had married, 
and his brother, William Cave, who had moved the fall before, to the 
wilderness of Kentucky, in 1782.  He settled in Garrard county, where he 
united with Gilbert's Creek church.  This was the same church he had 
first joined, but now, in a new location, and bearing a new name.  He 
remained at Gilbert's Creek some two years after Lewis Craig, the old 
pastor, had moved away, and, with George Stokes Smith, supplied the 
church with the ministry of the word.  In the spring of 1785, he moved 
to Woodford county, where he went into the constitution of Clear Creek 
church.  Here he was associated in the ministry with John Taylor, John 
Dupuy, James Rucker and, soon afterwards, with John Tanner and the 
venerable John Sutton.  He was regarded as a man of great piety, and was 
very zealous and useful, especially during a great revival that 
commenced under the ministry at Clerk Creek, in 1800.  The church 
received 326 by baptism, during one year, and was increased to 558 
members.  This was the most useful period of Mr. Cave's ministry; for 
not long afterwards, he fell into the pit that has ineffaceably spotted 
the garments of multitudes of good men.  He contracted the habit of 
drinking too freely.  When reproved for this sin, he repented bitterly, 
and could never again be induced to taste spirituous liquors.  His zeal 
for the cause of Christ was undimished, but his usefulness was much 
impaired.  Not long before his death, he arose to close the exercises of 
a meeting he attended, but was overpowered by a flood of tears and 
compelled to sit down.  He died of protracted diarrhea, in July, 1816.  
A few days before his departure, he expressed great serenity of soul, 
and a patient acquiescence in the divine will.  He had been a teacher of 
music, and was an excellent singer.  A little before his last breath, he 
sang in a loud voice, the words: -
	"O for an overcoming faith
		To cheer my dying hours;
	To triumph o'er the monster death,
		And all its frightful powers."

Cave Harris Read Craig Smith Taylor Dupuy Rucker Tanner Sutton
=
Orange-VA Spotsylvania-VA Garrard-KY 

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/woodford/cave.r.txt