The first black army officer in U.S. history was born in Columbia

Stephen Atkins Swails 

In addition to producing six generals and numerous other army officers, Columbia can boast another historical fact: It is the birthplace of the army’s first black officer in U.S. history. This fact has been confirmed by Hugh MacDougall, a historian from Cooperstown, N.Y.

Born in Columbia on February 23, 1832, Stephen Atkins Swails was the son of a black father and white mother. In 1863, while employed as a boatman in New York, Swails enlisted and joined the renowned 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American regiments in the Civil War. He eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant.

In 1863, Swails participated in the assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston, S.C., by the 54th Regiment in the summer of 1863. The 1989 film Glory depicted the heroic charge.

After the war, he was made a major general in the South Carolina National Guard and was elected mayor of Kingstree, South Carolina. He also served as a state senator for ten years, including three terms as president pro tem.

Swails died in Kingstree in 1901 and is buried in the Friendly Society Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina.

[Sources: LNP, Wikipedia]