1838 – 1922

Six Civil War veterans became President of the United States; only one became the president of another country - Switzerland.

Emil Frey might have seemed predestined for a political career: his father was an active politician in his native canton of Basel-Country. It was less predictable that he would fight with distinction in two of the major battles of the Civil War.

Frey arrived in the US in the fall of 1860. He took up residence in the colony of Highland, Illinois, which had been established by Swiss emigrants some 30 years earlier. He found work with Friedrich Hecker, an old acquaintance of Frey's father. Hecker was a German revolutionary who had been forced to leave his native country after the failed revolution of 1848, and had for a time been given refuge by the Frey family.
 
When the Civil War broke out Frey signed up to fight. For him the importance of the Unionist cause went beyond the borders of the US.

"The dismemberment of the Union would seriously injure the cause of liberty in the world," he wrote.

Hecker established the 82nd Illinois volunteer infantry, for which Frey helped him recruit. He signed up for H company a number of men from Highland, who unanimously elected him captain. The company "was soon considered one of the best in the regiment," he wrote in a letter home. 

The Illinois Civil War detail report describes Frey at this time as having light hair, blue eyes and a healthy complexion. At 5' 91/2" he was hardly a giant by today's standards, but nevertheless was one of the tallest in the regiment. 

Frey's company fought with distinction at Chancellorsville in May 1863 (the battle known as "Lee's greatest victory") and he was promoted to acting major.

At Gettysburg two months later he was taken prisoner by the Confederates, and spent 18 months in the Libby prison in Richmond, where he nearly starved. He was exchanged in January 1865.

After the war, Frey returned to Switzerland, where he entered politics. For many years he was active in Basel-Country, serving for six years (1866-72) in the cantonal government. In 1872 he became editor of the "Basler Nachrichten" newspaper, and at the same time was elected to the National Council at Federal level. He was the Council speaker in 1876 – the annually rotating post whose holder is the highest-ranking person in Switzerland.

He returned to the US in 1882, this time as Swiss minister in Washington, where his duties included overseeing the interests of Swiss immigrants.

He remained in this post until 1888, then went back to Switzerland where he again became a newspaper editor and was again elected to the National Council.

In 1890 he finally fulfilled his long-held ambition to be elected as a member of the Federal Council, the Swiss government. He remained in the Council for just over six years, for all of which he headed the military department. In this position he strengthened Switzerland's defence capabilities, among other things by building fortifications on the St Gotthard pass (now a museum).

In 1894 Frey served as President – under the Swiss system a position which rotates annually between the members of the Federal Council.

He stepped down from the Council in 1897, and became director of the Bernese office of the International Telegraph Union, a post he held until 1921.