PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE
The Tri Cities Civil War Round Table is hosting a lecture entitled “Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction.” The event will be held at 7:00 p.m., on March 13th, Room 219 at the Toy F. Reid Eastman Employee Center, 400 S. Wilcox Drive, Kingsport, TN
Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The Tri Cities Civil War Round Table is hosting a presentation by Gordon Rhea titled “Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction.” A free Black Man in the North before the Civil War began, Swails exhibited such exemplary service in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry that he became the first African American commissioned as a combat officer in the United States military. After the Civil War Swails was active in politics and pursued a career in government service. Rhea’s examination of Swails’ life and contributions will be held at 7:00pm on Monday, 13 March 2023, in room 219 of the Eastman Employee Center, 400 S. Wilcox Drive, Kingsport, TN. The presentation is free and open to all, and the general public is cordially invited to attend. Individuals wishing to dine with Mr. Rhea at 5:00pm that Monday at The Chop House (1704 N. Eastman Rd., Kingsport) should request reservations by contacting Wayne Strong at
trustwrks@aol.com.
The Author
Gordon Rhea, received his B.A. in history from Indiana University, his M.A. in history from Harvard University, and his law degree from Stanford University Law School. He served as Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Activities for two years and as an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington D.C. and the United States Virgin Islands and has been in the private practice of law since 1983.
Mr. Rhea has written eight award-winning books about the American Civil War,including his most recent, Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction. He has lectured across the country at the invitation of numerous historical societies, universities, and historic preservation organizations on topics of military history and the Civil War era and has served on the boards of historical societies, history magazines, and historical preservation organizations, including the Civil War Library and Museum, Philadelphia, the North and South magazine, and the Charleston South Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission. Mr. Rhea conducts fundraising tours for organizations that raise funds to purchase and preserve historical sites related to the Civil War era, including the Civil War Trust, the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, the Blue and Gray Education Society, and the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield. He has also appeared multiple times as a historian and presenter on nationwide television programs, including productions by The History Channel, A&E Channel, Discovery Channel, and C-Span.
Admission to the event is free, and the general public is cordially invited. For additional information, please contact
Wayne Strong 423-323-2306.
