General Gordon Granger

Gordon Granger, a career American Army officer who served as a Union general during the American Civil War, made a name for himself at the Battle of Chickamauga (November 6, 1821 – January 10, 1876).

Granger is best known for his involvement in the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga as well as for issuing General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, which further informed locals of and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, which freed all slaves in the Confederate States on January 1, 1863. Today, Juneteenth is a federal holiday that honors June 19th.