[1] He was single and employed mostly as a waiter in Cooperstown, New York at the start of the Civil War, and although he fathered several children by Sarah Thompson, they never married.

[3] In 1863, he answered Frederick Douglass' call to arms and joined the 54th Massachusetts when it began forming, and served in that regiment, eventually being commissioned as an officer, until the end of the war.

[3] Due to the loss of men in the assault on Fort Wagner, and when Colonel Edward Hallowell assumed command of the 54th, Swails was appointed acting sergeant-major of the 54th on 12 November 1863.

[5] On 26 February 1864, Colonel Hallowell, ...In accordance with the desire of his officers as well as his own... recommended to Governor Andrew that Sergeant Swails be commissioned in recognition of many soldiery qualities and his gallantry at Olustee.

[7] Thus began the fight to secure for Stephen Swails what may have been the first commission as a line officer given to an African American in the Union Army.

Colonel William Gurney, the post commander, ordered Swails to remove his officer's uniform and reassume duties as an enlisted man.

However, Colonel Hallowell obtained a furlough for Swails and sent him, along with all the necessary paperwork, to Major General John Foster, commander of the Department of the South.

Finally, on 17 January 1865, orders were received from the War Department, authorizing Stephen Swails to muster as a 2nd lieutenant with the regiment, ending almost a year-long struggle on his behalf by Colonel Hallowell, Governor Andrew and the officers of the 54th.

[11] Because of his complicated private life, Stephen Swails' descendants are plentiful, and live in Toronto, upstate New York, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

Dr. Robert Swails Rollins was a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force and, after military service, had a practice on Long Island, New York.