Emilio, Luis F., History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , 1863-1865

[194] duty as an officer, but the application for his muster inaugurated a new struggle with the War Department. When the usual request was made, it was refused on account of Lieutenant Swails's African descent, although to all appearances he was a white man. After the regiment came under Colonel Gurney, Swails was ordered to discard his officer's uniform and take duty as an enlisted man. Colonel Hallowell, however, procured him a furlough, and sent him, provided with the necessary papers, to see General Foster at Hilton Head. There Lieutenant Swails presented his claims in person and received the general's recommendation for muster, to be forwarded to higher authority.

We had only seven monitors before Charleston June 1, with but four of that number serviceable, while the enemy had four ironclads. Their garrisons were depleted to the last man, artillerymen holding their forts with feeble supports. On James Island there was not a single infantry regiment; and for some time the Citadel Cadets, composed of youths, and some companies of city firemen, armed for the duty, served at that point. One of their supplysteamers grounded during the night of the 4th between Sumter and Johnson, and the next morning Gregg opened on her, and soon destroyed the craft. A few vessels, under skilful and daring officers, managed to run the blockade into Charleston. From first to last some sixtyseven steamers and twenty-one sailing-vessels eluded us, of which a large proportion were owned by J. Fraser & Co. With spool-cotton at $12.50 per dozen, sole-leather $9.25 per pound, writing-paper $72 per ream, steel pens $8.50 per gross, and other foreign goods in like proportion, enormous profits were realized, as the cotton exported