In the South, news of the Emancipation Proclamation spread through various channels. Some enslaved individuals learned of the order while the fighting was still ongoing. This information was often disseminated through informal networks and rumors.

Further details on how this news spread are available from Houston Public Media. It is known that in some cases, enslaved people were informed by their slaveholders themselves. The full story of how Lincoln's order became known in the South can be found through local sources, providing more insight into this period in history.