Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction by Gordon C. Rhea

Abstract

Reviewed by: Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction by Gordon C. Rhea Holly A. Pinheiro Jr. Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction. By Gordon C. Rhea. Southern Biography. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2021. Pp. xvi, 189. $29.95, ISBN 978-0-8071-7626-9.) The American Civil War remains one of the most discussed and written-about historical periods, highlighting the relevance of the era even today. Additionally, the war has drawn generations of sustained interest from academics and the public in investigating the conflict’s multidimensional impacts. Thankfully, a bevy of scholars, including Gordan C. Rhea, remain committed to illuminating the lived experiences of Black soldiers during the Civil War era. Rhea, like other scholars, also recognizes that it is essential to explore Black soldiers’ lives in totality—before, during, and (potentially) after their time in the U.S. Army—while also including the perspectives of their [End Page 161] families and communities. Taking this approach provides nuanced avenues for historical analysis. As Rhea notes, even with the wealth of scholarship on the long Civil War era, there are still very few biographies in which a Black soldier is the central figure of the monograph. Rhea’s well-written and informative biography of Stephen A. Swails is an invaluable contribution to the historiography, as the author amplifies the historical voice of a Black servicemember and simultaneously disrupts the scholarly hyperfocus on white male figures (usually military officers and politicians). This approach allows readers to understand and discuss the lived experiences of Black soldiers like Swails, who composed 10 percent of the U.S. Army forces after 1862 and made profound and lasting impacts on American history. Sadly, despite these contributions, Black soldiers remain on the fringes in many historical examinations of this period. Throughout the book, Rhea details how Swails and other Black people experienced various forms of anti-Blackness that adapted over time and across regions. For Swails, those experiences included witnessing a large-scale race riot in antebellum Columbia, Pennsylvania, and dealing with racial discrimination (and fighting for his life) while holding political office in the Palmetto State after the Civil War. By tracing Swails’s life across an extended period, Rhea skillfully proves that Black soldiers fought for racial and social equality long before and long after they donned military uniforms. The book’s straightforward chronological structure spans eleven chapters that highlight how Swails’s and his family members’ lives intersected with numerous important historical events. For example, Rhea describes how Swails’s impressive rise from the rank of private to second lieutenant in the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry corresponded with an extended separation from his first wife, Sarah, and their two children. By including the familial experiences of Black soldiers, Rhea reifies the point that ignoring the home front silences the voices of important historical figures. The book touches on several historical topics, including an account of Swails’s fight against racial and political violence in South Carolina that many people should consider reading. In one of the most powerful portions of the book, Rhea details how Swails’s life remains important today to the numerous South Carolinians who continue to honor his legacy, including Congressman James E. Clyburn. For these and many other reasons, Gordon C. Rhea illustrates that scholarly attention needs to continue centering on the lives of Black historical figures to establish a more inclusive understanding of American history. Holly A. Pinheiro Jr. Furman University Copyright © 2023 The Southern Historical Association