Juneteenth: 5 Civil War battles that black Union soldiers played a key role

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Company I of the 36th Colored Regiment of the Union Army, which served at the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm in 1864 during the American Civil War. | Wikimedia Commons

On Wednesday, the United States will celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday marking the anniversary of when Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, declaring that the area's slaves were free.

First celebrated locally in the 19th century, Juneteenth became a state holiday in the 20th century in Texas and elsewhere, and then became a federal holiday in 2021.

A key focus of the observance is the American Civil War and the subsequent abolition of slavery. A major contribution to this effort were the approximately 180,000 black men who served in the Union Army.