. >> "my name is hawkins wilson." >> reporter: hawkins wilson, born into slavery into virginia, sold rn away from his family. >> "dear, sir --" >> reporter: from galveston, texas, wilson wrote these letters two years after the civil war ended, looking for his sisters. >> "i'm writing you tonight, my dear sister. "i'm writing you tonight, my dear sister, with my bible in my hand, praying." >> reporter: like so many black americans curious about their roots, kelly dixon-tealer of houston started the journey using ancestry.com. kelly, why did you decide to go on this journey of tracing your roots? >> i wanted to stay closer to my grandparents. i wanted to dig more. >> reporter: kelly and her mother, alva marie jenkins, learned they're the second and third great-granddaughters of hawkins wilson. his letters also detailed his life of love, family, and faith in galveston, the birthplace of juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery. the letters, now part of the national archives, were never delivered. >> today is that time for his story to be shared. >> reporter: wilson's words featured i

. >> my name is hawkins wilson. >> reporter: hawkins wilson, born into slavery, sold as a boy, torn away from galveston, texas, wilson wrote these letters two years after the civil war ended, looking for his sisters. >> i'm writing to you tonight dear sister with my bible in my hand praying. >> reporter: like so many black americans curious about their roots, she started the journey using ancestry.com. kelly, why did you decide to go on this journey of tracing your roots? >> i wanted to stay closer to my grandparents. i wanted to dig more. >> reporter: kelly and her mother learned they're the second and third great-granddaughters of hawkins wilson. his letters also detailed his life of love, family and faith in galveston, the birthplace of juneteenth commemorating the end of slavery. the letters, now part of the archives, were never delivered. >> today is the time for his story to be shared. >> reporter: wilson's words featured in a powerful new documentary by ancestry, a dream delivered, the lost letters from hawkins wilson. >> this story is kind of a reminder that we should be chasing