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Lee was the president and general manager of the Lee Lumber Company, which operated a large [[sawmill]] at Tioga in northwestern Rapides Parish. The company closed c. 1917 after the nearby timber was exhausted. Lee was the Grant Parish assessor during the 1890s, having been appointed to the since elected position by then Governor Murphy James Foster, Sr. After his legislative term ended, he relocated to Alexandria. He had a large political following and worked in 1928 for the successful election of Louisiana Public Service Commissioner [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], as the Louisiana governor. Lee was a cousin by marriage of Huey Long.<ref name=bio/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_0CKVuAldzEC&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=Swords+Lee+of+Louisiana&source=bl&ots=Lm15xfwI9n&sig=v_YePL0Kju2btIJEpJ8z-NBVU2A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=edFgVezlCcfmsAW5o4O4AQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Swords%20Lee%20of%20Louisiana&f=false|title=Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long|author=Richard White|page=284|publisher=Random House|location=[[New York City]]|isbn=0-8129-7383-6|date=2006|accessdate=May 23, 2015}}</ref>

Lee was the president and general manager of the Lee Lumber Company, which operated a large [[sawmill]] at Tioga in northwestern Rapides Parish. The company closed c. 1917 after the nearby timber was exhausted. Lee was the Grant Parish assessor during the 1890s, having been appointed to the since elected position by then Governor Murphy James Foster, Sr. After his legislative term ended, he relocated to Alexandria. He had a large political following and worked in 1928 for the successful election of Louisiana Public Service Commissioner [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], as the Louisiana governor. Lee was a cousin by marriage of Huey Long.<ref name=bio/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_0CKVuAldzEC&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=Swords+Lee+of+Louisiana&source=bl&ots=Lm15xfwI9n&sig=v_YePL0Kju2btIJEpJ8z-NBVU2A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=edFgVezlCcfmsAW5o4O4AQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Swords%20Lee%20of%20Louisiana&f=false|title=Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long|author=Richard White|page=284|publisher=Random House|location=[[New York City]]|isbn=0-8129-7383-6|date=2006|accessdate=May 23, 2015}}</ref>

On November 12, 1884, Lee married Martha Cornelia Nugent (1862-1933),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lee&GSfn=Martha&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1148&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=134772081&df=all&|title=Martha Cornelia Nugent Lee (wife of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave|accessdate=January 24, 2021}}</ref> a daughter of Matthew and Julie Ann Mackie Nugent, pioneer Grant Parish settlers. Lee died of an illness of several months at his Alexandria home at the intersection of Fourth and St. James streets five days after his seventieth birthday. He was survived by his widow and four children, Maude Lee Eubank (1885-1958) and husband Benjamin Franklin Eubank (1882-1962),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=98916107|title=Benjamin Franklin Eubank (son-in law of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=May 23, 2015}}</ref> J. H. Lee, and Ethel Lee Jarrell (1896-1967) and husband Marion Fahy Jarrell (1897-1977), all of Alexandria, and Mrs. S. J. Rogers of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish in northeast Louisiana. Three other Lee children, Florence, Lucille, and Samuel Patterson Lee, predeceased their father. He had two surviving grandsons,<ref name=bio/> [[attorney]] James Rowland Eubank (1914-1952) and Dr. Marion Lee Jarrell (1921-1984).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Jarrell&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1148&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=102551659&df=all&|title=Dr. Marion Lee Jarrell (grandson of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave|accessdate=January 23, 2021}}</ref> James Eubank served briefly in the Louisiana House in 1952, during which time he was a floor leader for Governor [[Robert F. Kennon]]. Representative Eubank died of a [[heart attack]] in Alexandria at the age of thirty-seven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=98916108|title=James Rowland Eubank|publisher=''The Baton Rouge  Advocate'' through findagrave.com|date=November 10, 1952|accessdate=January 23, 2021}}</ref>

On November 12, 1884, Lee married Martha Cornelia Nugent (1862-1933),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lee&GSfn=Martha&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1148&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=134772081&df=all&|title=Martha Cornelia Nugent Lee (wife of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave|accessdate=January 24, 2021}}</ref> a daughter of Matthew and Julie Ann Mackie Nugent, pioneer Grant Parish settlers. Lee died of an illness of several months at his Alexandria home at the intersection of Fourth and St. James streets five days after his seventieth birthday. He was survived by his widow and four children, Maude Lee Eubank (1885-1958) and husband Benjamin Franklin Eubank (1882-1962),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=98916107|title=Benjamin Franklin Eubank (son-in law of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=January 23, 2021}}</ref> J. H. Lee, and Ethel Lee Jarrell (1896-1967) and husband Marion Fahy Jarrell (1897-1977), all of Alexandria, and Mrs. S. J. Rogers of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish in northeast Louisiana. Three other Lee children, Florence, Lucille, and Samuel Patterson Lee, predeceased their father. He had two surviving grandsons,<ref name=bio/> [[attorney]] James Rowland Eubank (1914-1952) and Dr. Marion Lee Jarrell (1921-1984).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Jarrell&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScnty=1148&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=102551659&df=all&|title=Dr. Marion Lee Jarrell (grandson of Swords Lee)|publisher=findagrave|accessdate=January 23, 2021}}</ref> James Eubank served briefly in the Louisiana House in 1952, during which time he was a floor leader for Governor [[Robert F. Kennon]]. Representative Eubank died of a [[heart attack]] in Alexandria at the age of thirty-seven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=98916108|title=James Rowland Eubank|publisher=''The Baton Rouge  Advocate'' through findagrave.com|date=November 10, 1952|accessdate=January 23, 2021}}</ref>

Lee is interred with other family members at Greenwood Memorial Park in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]]. Both [[Methodist]] and [[Southern Baptist]] pastors officiated at his funeral, with Masonic lodge graveside rites following.<ref name=bio/>

Lee is interred with other family members at Greenwood Memorial Park in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]]. Both [[Methodist]] and [[Southern Baptist]] pastors officiated at his funeral, with Masonic lodge graveside rites following.<ref name=bio/>