[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 664 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 664

Recognizing the 25th Army Corps of the Union Army and thanking them for 
   their role in capturing Galveston, Texas, on June 5th, 1865, and 
                liberating thousands of enslaved people.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 25, 2023

   Mr. Green of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

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                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the 25th Army Corps of the Union Army and thanking them for 
   their role in capturing Galveston, Texas, on June 5th, 1865, and 
                liberating thousands of enslaved people.

Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ``Original Resolution Honoring the 
        25th Army Corps'';
Whereas the 25th Army Corps was the largest unit of African Americans in the 
        Union Army during the Civil War, comprised of more than 1,000 soldiers;
Whereas the 25th Army Corps captured Galveston, Texas, on June 5, 1865, a week 
        before General Gordon Granger's arrival on June 19, 1865;
Whereas the 25th Army Corps chased the rebel government and soldiers of Texas 
        into Mexico and spread the word about freedom, liberating thousands of 
        enslaved people in Texas before the arrival of General Granger;
Whereas the 25th Army Corps were the first unit to occupy the former capital of 
        the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, on April 3, 1864;
Whereas the members of the 25th Army Corps, who were previously held in the 
        bondage of slavery, not only emancipated enslaved persons in Galveston, 
        they also released Union soldiers and enslaved persons taken captive by 
        the Confederate Army;
Whereas the soldiers of the 25th Army Corps, through their actions and 
        sacrifices, brought a crucial victory for the Union and played an 
        indispensable role in the struggle for human rights, contributing to the 
        abolition of slavery;
Whereas the 25th Army Corps not only waged war against the Confederacy but also 
        waged a significant battle against racial prejudice and discrimination 
        across the Nation; and
Whereas the legacy of the 25th Army Corps continues to inspire subsequent 
        generations, instilling the values of courage, freedom, and justice and 
        reminding us of our shared humanity: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and thanks 
the 25th Army Corps of the Union Army for their role in capturing 
Galveston, Texas, on June 5, 1865, and liberating thousands of enslaved 
people days prior to the arrival of General Gordon Granger on June 19, 
1865.
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