page_title: Emil Frey
section_title: Career during the American Civil War
hierarchical_section_title: Emil Frey / Career during the American Civil War
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Der spätere Schweizer Bundesrat Emil Frey (1838–1922) in der Uniform des 82. Illinois Infanterieregiments 1862. English: Later Swiss Federal Councillor Emil Frey in the uniform of the 82nd Illinois infantery regiment 1862.
context_page_description: Emil Johann Rudolf Frey was a Swiss politician, soldier in the American Civil War and member of the Swiss Federal Council.
context_section_description: Frey entered the unionist 24th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a private. Frey wrote in his essay "My American Experiences" that "on 17th of June [1861] I enlisted in the 24th at Chicago. On that same day I was appointed by Colonel Hecker to be the colorbearer of the regiment, and in the evening we left Chicago for Alton, Ill." Hecker was his commander, and they became friends again, with Frey sharing a tent with Hecker's son. Frey was later promoted to first lieutenant but resigned on 17 June 1862. He began raising a company for the Second Hecker Regiment (The 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment) and became the company's captain.  Captain Frey was taken prisoner at the battle of Gettysburg on 1 July 1863 and held in Libby Prison for eighteen months before being exchanged for Captain Gordon, a Confederate prisoner under sentence of death.
caption: Frey in the Union Army
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