On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers notified the people of Texas that the Civil War had ended and slaves were free. According to this history, no one is really sure of why there was a delay; after all, the effective date of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was January 1, 1863, some 2 1/2 years earlier.
In Virginia, Juneteenth is a state holiday with observances being held throughout the state. Not included on the list is one local observance, which will be held from noon to 6pm today at the Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center in Chesapeake.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
That “delay” is now called the Civil War, which did not end until April 9, 1865. Despite its name, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free anyone, since it only applied to those States that were in rebellion, meaning only those States where Lincoln had no authority.
Actually, Warren, the delay I referred to was the notification of Emancipation Proclamation, which, if you had read the link, you would have known.