[FALL OF RICHMOND]. A fragment of the last Confederate Stat...

[FALL OF RICHMOND]. A fragment of the last Confederate States of America flag flown in the Capitol at Richmond, captured by the 4th MA Cavalry, 3 April 1865. Red and white cloth, 165 x 140 mm, frayed at edges. Provenance: contemporary note with envelope containing the flag, reading: “Major [Atherton H.] Stevens, commander of the Battalion, he did not haul R.S. Bay. John A. Josselyn Co. E of the 4th Mass Cav we placed. Each kept a piece of the flag after it was down. He presented the flag to Major Stevens. First into Richmond & first into the Capitol.” The envelope reads: “Piece of the Rebel Flag from the Capitol at Richmond”. John A. Joselyn, an 18-year-old farmer from Brookfield, Massachusetts, was enlisted into the Union Army as a Private on 11 June 1862. On 27 January 1864, Joselyn mustered into “E” Company MA 4th Cavalry and was mustered out on 14 November 1865 at Richmond. On April 3, Company “E” of MA 4th Cavalry, along with Company “H” and the 25th corps, were the first to enter the Confederate capitol after it was abandoned. After the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, all the detachments of the regiments were united at Richmond and remained on duty during the summer and autumn. Major Atherton H. Stevens along with his regiment, met then Mayor Joseph Mayo outside of the capitol who handed Stevens a note of surrender. Stevens and the MA 4th Cavalry accepted the surrender, then continued into Richmond, dismounting at Capitol Square. Troopers of the Cavalry then climbed to the roof of the Capitol, took down the confederate flag, and ran up two of their cavalry guidons, lacking a U.S. flag. (See, American Civil War Research Database).