Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
Patriarch of the Cave Family in Page County
Article of September 18, 1997
Researching an ancestor who served in the Revolutionary
War can be an exciting and rewarding. Often, a researcher
will use their find to join the Daughters or Sons of the
American Revolution just to name a few organizations. However,
what do you do with your new found ancestor once you find
them?
There are some fine published resources to aid a person
and eventually lead to the microfilm record of the unit
in which the ancestor served in the Revolution. The
microfilm record, available at the National Archives in
Washington, D.C. will usually disclose where your
ancestor enlisted and follow the course of his service
until his enlistment expired, he was wounded or killed.
But before you leave the Archives there is one more rock
left unturned - the pension records. While a search in
the pension files may be fruitless, there are exceptions.
Regretfully, not every soldier who served or widow who
had a spouse who served applied for the pension.
A prime example of success in researching the pension
records is evident with the record of Reuben Cave, a
private in the 2nd Virginia State Regiment in the
Revolutionary War and the patriarch of the Cave families
that reside in Page County today. In the records of the
pension, Cave revealed a great deal more than just service
in the war but also shed light on his prewar and postwar
years as well as some viewpoints on certain political
events that took place in his life.
As a testimony to his life, Cave at age 94 in 1832, had
his story transcribed as a part of the evidence that he
had served in the war.
Born about 1738, Cave gave no indication to whom his
parents were, leaving yet another family mystery.
Prior to the outbreak of the war he had been a resident
of Spotsylvania County and recalled living for over two
years at the residence of Mr. William Hutchinson, to
whom he was bound. Following the end of his term of
servitude with Hutchinson, Cave began work as an
overseer for Andrew Manson, Frank Coleman, and others up
until the year of 1776. Following the events that opened
the war with Great Britain, Cave, then about 38 years
old, decided to join in the efforts for independence.
Traveling to Orange County, Reuben Cave enlisted at the
home of Captain Roland Thomas, about twelve miles from
where he then lived. Signing as a member of Captain
George Stubblefield's company for a three year term,
Cave soon joined other soldiers in a march to Williamsburg
to be trained under French Captain William Clummer.
Though Clummer was an artillery officer, the company of
men was trained for infantry. From Williamsburg, the
company marched to Yorktown where they remained for two
months before joining other elements of the Continental
Army at Valley Forge.
Cave's review of his military service after training is
brief but interesting, taking him from the time that he
learned of the capture of the Hessian troops at Phillip's
Mills to his time spent in winter quarters on half-rations.
Cave was at the storming of Mud Point or Fort Mifflin
under Captain Muehlhaney, and recalled taking possession
of the fort "at the point of the bayonet." Sometime after
this the regiment was ordered to Virginia to reinforce
General "Mad" Anthony Wayne against Lord Cornwallis, then
to Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina. But before reaching
Guilford, Cave's enlistment expired and he received his
discharge.
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