Putnam County has joined the ranks of government bodies that recognize Juneteenth as a special day. This year, on June 19, Putnam held its first-ever Juneteenth Ceremony. Juneteenth has been marked as a special occasion ever since June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger advised African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War was over and they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln had issued on Jan. 1, 1863.
Over the years, interest in celebrating the June 19 delayed notification of the African Americans in Galveston that they were free has gradually grown all across the U.S. In 1980, Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas and in 2021, President Biden signed into law legislation that made June 19 a federal holiday.
Putnam’s Juneteenth event took was held at the Veterans Memorial Park on Gypsy Trail Road in Carmel. It was hosted by Putnam County Historian Jennifer Cassidy and County Executive Kevin Byrne.
“The inaugural Juneteenth Ceremony in Putnam County marks an important step in recognizing and honoring the significance of this historic day,” Byrne said. “The fact is, the Civil War was fought for freedom. This country was founded on the concept that all of us are created equal. In Putnam County, we will always honor and celebrate those that fought for individual liberty.”
Cassidy said, “It is an honor to recognize this holiday, when 158 years ago news of the emancipation proclamation reached Texas, two months after the Civil War had ended. Putnam County recognizes its role in American history, in black history.”
Linda Harris, a Putnam County resident, read excerpts from the poem “A Colored Volunteer” by Private Frank Meyers, who was an African American Civil War Veteran from Putnam County. Harris added, “No matter our differences, we need to stay united and remember that freedom is not free.”
The ceremony took place at the memorial in the park that honors an African American World War I veteran, Sgt. Clinton J. Peterson. He served in the 369th U.S. Infantry, an African American unit, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Because of its actions during the war, the French government awarded the entire unit the Croix de Guerre, which was its highest award for bravery.
