June 19, 1865

A couple of summers ago, on a research trip to the Dallas Historical Society, I found a few gems. One of the documents I had the fortune of holding in my hands, was an original copy of one of the military orders read in Galveston on that first Juneteenth.

The archivist, Alan Olson, showed my advisor, Dr. Daina Berry, and I, what he explained, was the only surviving original order read of those read on June 19, 1865 by General Gordon Grainger outside of Galveston’s Ashton Villa, later also at both the Custom House, and outside of the courthouse, among several other public places around the island, including the Reedy Chapel-AME Church on Broadway.

Many people, even in Texans, think that General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation, but he did not, and likely read either all orders in this page, or perhaps only #3 and #4.

Original copies such as this one were disseminated across Galveston and posted outside of courthouses in major centers across Texas. Of all this originals made, this is the last known copy that has been preserved of this brought by General Granger to Texas, two and half years after Lincoln’s issued his proclamation.

General Granger arrived in Galveston by boat along with more than 2,000 soldiers from the 13th Army Corps.

[For more go to: https://www.galvestonhistory.org/news/juneteenth-and-general-order-no-3 ].

Original (& only known surviving copy of) military order read at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.