Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, legally freeing slaves in rebellious states and regions controlled by Union forces. According to oral tradition, E.P. Williams stood on a rock wall surrounding his home to read the Proclamation that freed his slaves in 1863. Valley residents, black and white, reportedly came on foot, on mules, and in wagons to witness this historic event. Most people in bondage were not told about emancipation in 1863. In some cases, they first heard about freedom long after the end of the Civil War in April, 1865. On December 6, 1865, Congress formally abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States”.