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ANTIQUE RIBBON BY S SCHWEIZER OF SWISS CIVIL WAR VET & AMBASSADOR EMIL FREY G153
The woven signature on the bottom appears to read E. Frey which may be the Swiss American Emil Frey. Perhaps this ribbon was from his time as the Swiss Ambassador to the US or from Switzerland in 1894 when he was elected President? We are unable to find another like it.
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From Wikipedia:
Frey\'s family provided refuge forFriedrich Heckerwhen he fled the repression following therevolution in Germany in 1848.In 1860 he emigrated to theUnited States, arriving inBelleville, Illinois, an area with manyForty-Eighters, veterans of the 1848 revolutions in Europe. For a while he worked for Hecker, but they had a falling-out.
Frey enlisted in theUnion Army\'s24th Illinois Infantry Regimentas aprivate.He 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 tofirst lieutenantbut resigned on 17 June 1862.
Frey raised the82nd Illinois Infantry Regiment(known as \"Second Hecker Regiment\") and was the regiment\'s acting colonel at theBattle of Gettysburgin July 1863. He was taken prisoner on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg,and following held inLibby Prisonfor eighteen months before being exchanged for Captain Gordon, a Confederate prisoner who had been sentenced to death. Frey held the rank ofmajorat the end of the war.He rescinded hisSwiss citizenshipon 14 July 1864, and took on the American.
After the Civil War, Frey returned to Switzerland.From 1866 to 1872, he was a member of the cantonal government ofBasel-Country. Not satisfied with the salary as politician he shortly was an editor for the journal Basler Nachrichten in 1872.The same year, Frey was elected to theSwiss National Council,council hepresidedover in 1875/1876.
From 1882 to 1888, Frey was the firstambassador (Minister) of Switzerland to the United StatesinWashington.The US PresidentChester A. Arthursaw him as the representative for both states.
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