GALVESTON, Texas — Dr. Stephen Duncan is preparing to don the general’s outfit for the sixth year in a row during Galveston’s 156th Juneteenth Celebration.

As one of the few Union soldier Civil War reenactors in the state of Texas, Galveston’s Historical Foundation leans on him to portray Major General Gordon Granger for the event every year. That means Dr. Duncan gets to read the general order Granger brought with him to Galveston that informed the enslaved people of their freedom. It’s a role he said he’s honored to play.

“I don’t know if I could explain how cool it feels to read the words ‘all slaves are free,’” Duncan said. “The first time I did that, the people on the lawn started chanting ‘Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!’ I almost lost it all.”

Duncan, who works as the director of fine arts for Galveston Independent School District, has been a Civil War reenactor since 2011. He signed up through the 69th regiment based out of New York so he could represent his ancestors who fought for the union. His union affiliation, and his willingness to purchase a general’s outfit for the occasion, landed him the gig as Major General Gordon Granger for the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth celebration in 2015.

He said even though it’s likely that General Granger didn’t read General Order No. 3 out loud anywhere, hearing the words helps people understand what happened in Galveston.

“We need to know what happened,” Duncan said. “Sometimes we forget in our history to teach all the history. We tend to gloss over things, and you can’t gloss over slavery.”

Galveston’s 156th Juneteenth Celebration will happen on Saturday, June 19, at 10 a.m. at Ashton Villa.