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Thomas Swords was a grandson of Captain Thomas Swords, a British officer, who died in New York in 1780.  His father was the senior member of the publishing-house of T, and J. Swords, of New York city.

Swords graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1829, assigned to the 4th infantry, and served in various parts of the southern states for four years, when he was appointed First Lieutenant in the 1st Dragoons.

Swords was promoted Captain on March 3, 1837, and during nearly the whole of the succeeding twelve years was engaged on frontier duty, serving with General Henry Leavenworth against the Indians in the southwest, and with General Stephen Kearny in the conquest of New Mexico and California, and raised the first American flag over Santa Fe.

When General Kearny's force reached San Diego in January, 1847, Swords, who was the quartermaster, went to the Sandwich islands and obtained clothing and supplies for the soldiers. He became captain and assistant quartermaster on July 7, 1838, Major, April 21, 1846, and Lieutenant-Colonel and Deputy Quartermaster-General on August 3, 1861.

Swords was Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the West in 1846-47, where he fought at the battle of San Pasqual, California, in December, 1846, and at Vera Cruz, and was brevetted Lieutenant-Colonel on May 30, 1848, for meritorious services in the enemy's country.

During the Civil War, Swords was chief quartermaster of the Departments of the Cumberland and the Ohio from 1861 to 1865, was engaged in the battle of Chickamauga, and brevetted Brigadier-General and Major-General on March 13, 1865.

He retired from active service in February, 1869.