The Falling Flag: Evacuation of Richmond, Retreat and Surrender at Appomattox

In this intimate wartime diary, a Confederate cavalry officer recounts the frantic days as Richmond prepared to fall in April 1865. He describes a sudden midnight march out of the camp, the wrestle with orders, and the uneasy hush that settled over the troops as they became the army’s rear guard. The narrative captures the stark contrast between the soldiers’ easy banter around crackling fires and the looming collapse of the Confederacy. Through his eyes we hear the clatter of wagon trains, the burning of bridges, and the distant roar of battles that still echo from Petersburg.

Boykin’s prose is unadorned yet vivid, offering a ground‑level view of cavalry life amid dwindling supplies and waning hope. He notes moments of weary humor, the cold April nights, and the palpable sense that a historic epoch was ending. Listeners gain a personal window onto the final march toward Appomattox, feeling both the weight of history and the humanity of the men who marched it. The account remains a rare, first‑hand glimpse into a pivotal, yet often overlooked, chapter of the Civil War.