LET'S CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH!

LET’S CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH!

The celebration of JUNETEENTH began in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.    JUNETEENTH is one of the oldest celebrations of the end of slavery in the United States.  On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the slaves were free.  This happened two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, it had very little impact on the slaves in Texas because Texas was a very powerful part of the Confederacy.  The small number of Union troops in Texas could not enforce the new Executive Order.  But with the surrender of the Confederacy in April 1865, the Union army had business to take care of in Texas (more specifically with the French in Mexico).  Herein was the problem: during the war between the American States, the French emperor Napoleon III extended his European empire into Mexico, by setting up one of his relatives, Maximilian I, as emperor of Mexico.  Taking advantage of the fact that the American government was busily occupied with saving its own integrity and nation, Napoleon III had the audacity to take over the Mexican government and establish his puppet empire there.  The presence of French troops overwhelmed the Mexican people, as Maximilian I violated the previously U.S. enforced Monroe Doctrine.  Napoleon III and his puppet, Maximilian I also had designs to invade and take over the United States, since they believed that the U.S. had been too weakened by Civil War.  While the U.S. had been totally involved in civil war, our nation had done very little or nothing to hinder Maximilian’s progress.  But with the end of the Civil War, the U.S. sent several regiments of black soldiers to guard the Texas/Mexico border.

Among the black soldiers (known then as U.S. Colored Troops), I had several ancestors who fought in the regiments that participated in the Civil War and were later sent to face down the French in Mexico.  My great great grandfather, Pvt. John Henry Barton, who fought under the alias of Pvt. John Henry Morgan, was a soldier in Co. F of the 127^th U.S. Colored Troops.  Three of his brothers, my great great uncles, Pvt. James R. Barton (Co. F), Pvt. Thomas E. Barton (Co. C), and Pvt. George S. Barton, who fought under the alias of Pvt. Francis R. S. Barton (Co. C) were also in the 127^th regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops.  A fourth great great uncle, Sgt. William A. Barton, who fought under the alias of Sgt. Joseph W. Wilson, was in Co. G of the 43^rd U.S. Colored Troops.  Sgt. William A. Barton was a veteran of the “Battle of the Crater” that was fought at Petersburg.  My great great grandfather and his brothers served under General Gordon Granger’s command and served faithfully until their mission was accomplished in Texas and they were mustered out of the military from Texas in September and October, 1865.

With the arrival of General Gordon Granger and 2000 troops from the U.S. Colored Troops regiments, the American soldiers were strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.  Maximilian did not want to tangle with the black men who were part of the siege of Petersburg and Richmond, and who had been instrumental in convincing General Robert E. Lee to surrender at Appomattox.  It has been rumored that General Lee sent a message to General Grant just before he surrendered.  The message read as follows: “I’ll whip you yet if you take those colored soldiers off the field?”

General Granger was given command of the Department of Texas on June 10, 1865, by Gen. Phil Sheridan, commander of the Military Division of the Southwest.  On June 18, 1865, General Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. Upon his arrival in Galveston on June 19, Granger officially declared that slavery was dead, setting off joyful displays by Texas freedmen.   Granger stood on the balcony of Galveston’s now famous “Ashton Villa”, the three-story brick house that had been built by slave labor and served as headquarters for the Confederate army in Texas.  He then read the contents of “General Order No. 3”:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” 

After hearing the reading of “General Order No. 3”, the slaves broke out in jubilation.  This celebration was the beginning of the annual celebration known as Juneteenth.  Beginning in 1866 and continuing regularly to the present day, African-Americans treated June 19th like the Fourth of July and the celebrations contained similar events.   In earlier celebrations, Juneteenth included a prayer service, speakers with inspirational messages, reading of the emancipation proclamation, stories from former slaves, barbecues, red soda water, games, rodeos and dances.

Granger also voided the laws that were passed by the Confederate government.  He declared that Confederate soldiers were pardoned and that all persons having public property, including cotton, should turn it in to the United States Army.  He declared that all privately owned cotton was to be turned in to the army for compensation.  Granger counseled blacks against congregating around towns and military posts, remaining unemployed, or expecting welfare.  Instead, he advised them to remain on the plantations and to sign labor agreements with their former owners while awaiting further assistance from the newly formed, yet to be implemented Freedman’s Bureau,  which was later established in the state of Texas.

Even though the news came over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was initiated, many blacks responded with great jubilation at the news of freedom. Others were in a state of shock and unbelief.  After so many years of having been degraded as slaves, many wondered what they would do with their new-found freedom.  While many stayed around Galveston to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, quite a few others left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former “masters”.   Even with nowhere to go, they felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom. To go “North” was the logical destination.  For many freedmen “North” represented true freedom.  On the other hand the desire to connect with family members in neighboring states drove some into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The celebration of June 19^th was coined "Juneteenth" and grew with more participation from descendants. Juneteenth is a time for reassuring one other, for praying and giving thanks to God for freedom, as well as for gathering with family members and friends.  Juneteenth continues to be highly revered in Texas even to the present day, with many descendants of slaves making the annual pilgrimage back to Galveston to celebrate on this date.  I hope you enjoyed this article.  Have a great day...LeRoy Carter.