Washington Carroll Tevis (February 22, 1829 – September 29, 1900), also known as Charles Carroll Tevis, Nassim Bey and Charles Carroll de Taillevis, was an American-born soldier of fortune who served in a variety of armies and conflicts during the 19th century.

Early life

Washington C. Tevis was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

on February 22, 1829. His parents were Benjamin Tevis (1789–1845), a Unitarian and an

auctioneer An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...

and

commission merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry ...

and Mary Hunter. Born in Maryland, Benjamin served as a

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

with the 39th Regiment of Maryland Militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Benjamin was involved with the Whig Party and the Hibernian Society of Philadelphia. In addition to Washington, the Tevis family had a daughter Martha Heloise Tevis who was born on August 7, 1826 but died on August 8, 1827. Washington entered the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in 1842 and graduated in 1845 with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree.p. 536 Miller, Richard F. ''States at War, Volume 4: A Reference Guide for Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey in the Civil War'' University Press of New England, 3 Feb. 2015

United States Army

With an ongoing situation of

war with Mexico War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

brewing, Tevis was appointed at large to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point on June 30, 1845. He graduated 24th in his class of 43 on the 1st of July, 1849, He was commissioned a

Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

with the

Regiment of Mounted Riflemen The 3rd Cavalry Regiment, formerly 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Brave Rifles") is a regiment of the United States Army currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. The regiment has a history in the United States Army that dates back to 19 May 1 ...

. Tevis trained at the School of Cavalry Practice but resigned his commission on May 12, 1850. From May 1850 to November 1851 Tevis was a member of the prestigious

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decorat ...

France, the Near East and the Crimean War

Financed by the inheritance from his late father Tevis traveled to Paris. There he began using the name "Charles Carroll Tevis". He converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

in 1853 where he received Baptism in the Chapel of the Archbishop of Paris, from the hands of then

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

Georges Darboy Georges Darboy (16 January 181324 May 1871) was a French Catholic priest, later bishop of Nancy then archbishop of Paris. He was among a group of prominent hostages executed as the Paris Commune of 1871 was about to be overthrown. Biography Da ...

who was charged with Tevis's instruction and preparation in the faith. On February 4, 1854 he was commissioned a

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Binbashi A ''binbashi'', alternatively ''bimbashi'', (from tr, Binbaşı, "chief of a thousand", "chiliarch") is a major in the Turkish army, of which term originated in the Ottoman army. The title was also used for a major in the Khedivial Egyptian a ...

in the army of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

and soon advanced to the rank of

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been retained an ...

. He adopted the name of "Nessim Bey". Initially a

staff officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

Tevis led a force of

Bashi-bazouk A bashi-bazouk ( ota, باشی بوزوق , , , roughly "leaderless" or "disorderly") was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army, raised in times of war. The army chiefly recruited Albanians and Circassians as bashi-bazouks, but recruits ...

s under General

György Kmety György Kmety ( Felsőpokorágy, – London, ) was a general in the Hungarian Army, and in the Ottoman Army under the name Ismail Pasha. Career Kmety's father was a noble but poor evangelist vicar who died in 1818, so his brother (Pau ...

in the

Battle of Kurekdere The Battle of Kürekdere took place on 6 August 1854 as part of the Crimean War. The battle occurred when an Ottoman army from the Turkish fortress of Kars marched out to confront a marauding Russian detachment near the village of Kürekdere ...

, Battle of Indjédéré and the

Siege of Kars The siege of Kars was the last major operation of the Crimean War. In June 1855, attempting to alleviate pressure on the defence of Sevastopol, Emperor Alexander II ordered General Nikolay Muravyov to lead his troops against areas of Ottoman ...

. He was made an Officer in the

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in fi ...

, a Grand Officer in the

Order of Glory Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

of the

and was awarded the Medal for the Defence of Kars and the British

Crimea Medal The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved on 15 December 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units (land and naval) which fought in the Crimean War of 1854–56 against Russia. The medal was awarded with the British version of th ...

. Tevis left the army in 1855 to return to Paris. There he published a book of warfare ''La Petite guerre et le service des avant-postes'' published by Guiraudet et Jouaust in 1855 and patented a revolver.

Return to the United States

Tevis returned to Philadelphia in approximately 1859 and applied to have his name changed to Charles Carroll de Taillevis; believing it to be his original family name from a

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

who came to America in 1702. Tevis eloped with Blanche Florance, the daughter of Jacob Florance, a successful merchant, and Hannah Levy Florance, of Philadelphia, in November 1860. Her parents, who were Jewish, reportedly objected to the marriage because Tevis was Christian. As a result, she was disinherited, though her father left her an inheritance after his death in 1867.

The American Civil War

Though an experienced cavalryman, Tevis was commissioned a

of Infantry in the

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

; the second in command of the 4th Delaware Volunteer Infantry Regiment on August 18, 1862. In addition to organising the regiment and serving with them at the defence of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

he was involved in operations around

Gloucester Point, Virginia Gloucester Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in Gloucester County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,402 at the 2010 census. It is home to the College of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a graduate school f ...

. In June 1863 Lt. Col Tevis led a combined infantry force of 400 men, from several regiments in addition to his 4th Delaware, in an amphibious operation in the vicinity of

Walkerton, Virginia Walkerton is an unincorporated community in King and Queen County, Virginia, King and Queen County, Virginia, United States. Fort Mattapony, Hillsborough (Walkerton, Virginia), Hillsborough, and Northbank (Walkerton, Virginia), Northbank are liste ...

where his men successfully destroyed a large amount of Confederate supplies. In September 1863 Lt. Col Tevis was selected by Brigadier General

Robert C. Schenck Robert Cumming Schenck (October 4, 1809 – March 23, 1890) was a Union Army general in the American Civil War, and American diplomatic representative to Brazil and the United Kingdom. He was at both battles of Bull Run and took part in Jack ...

to organise and lead an unusual cavalry regiment, the 3rd Maryland Volunteer Cavalry composed of hundreds of Confederate prisoners of war who agreed to serve the Union; many were captured at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

. The state of

Maryland in the American Civil War During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Maryland, a slave state, was one of the border states, straddling the South and North. Despite some popular support for the cause of the Confederate States of America, Maryland did not secede durin ...

contained large amounts of citizens loyal to both the Federal and Confederate governments. In addition to normal wartime military operations Tevis's regiment patrolled the areas of elections and made arrests. Tevis entered the forbidden zone of politics when on November 2, 1863 he issued a proclamation not only declaring that all qualified voters should engage in their right to vote, but to vote for the platform of the

Unconditional Union Party The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preserv ...

as "recognized by the Federal authorities as loyal or worthy of the support of any one who desires the peace and restoration of the Union". Tevis's soldiers also arrested several candidates in the election. As a result, Brigadier Schenck ordered the withdrawal of the proclamation and the arrest of Tevis. After further investigation Schenck ordered Tevis released believing that Tevis acted in good faith, though he was quite wrong to sign the proclamation that was actually written by

provost marshal Provost marshal is a title given to a person in charge of a group of Military Police (MP). The title originated with an older term for MPs, '' provosts'', from the Old French ''prévost'' (Modern French ''prévôt''). While a provost marshal i ...

and a candidate in the election, Captain John Frazier, however Tevis was honorably discharged July 20, 1864. Prior to the ending of hostilities, Tevis's friend and fellow Philadelphian

Charles Godfrey Leland Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15, 1824 – March 20, 1903) was an American humorist and folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Princeton University and in Europe. Leland worked in journalism, travelled extensivel ...

used his influence with

John Weiss Forney John Weiss Forney (30 September 1817 – 9 December 1881) was an American newspaper publisher and politician. He was clerk of the United States House of Representatives from 1851 through 1856, and again from 1860 through 1861. He was thereafter se ...

to obtain a

commission as a Brigadier General for Tevis.

Adjutant General of the Fenian Army

With the Civil War only recently ending, Tevis found himself in a new war at a much higher level of command. The

Fenian Brotherhood The Fenian Brotherhood () was an Irish republican organisation founded in the United States in 1858 by John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny. It was a precursor to Clan na Gael, a sister organisation to the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). Membe ...

Congress appointed Tevis a committeeman from the state of Pennsylvania. Brigadier General

Thomas William Sweeny Thomas William Sweeny (December 25, 1820 – April 10, 1892) was an Irish-American soldier who served in the Mexican–American War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Birth and early years Sweeny was bo ...

was made Secretary of War in late 1865 by the

who had a scheme to gain the independence of Ireland through military attacks on Canada. In November 1865 Tevis was appointed

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the organisation, with the rank of Brigadier GeneralDenieffe, Joseph ''A Personal Narrative of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood'' The Gael Publishing Co. 1906 one of nine men in Sweeny's Fenian

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

. Tevis and Major William O'Reilly purchased 4,220 Pennsylvania militia muskets from the

Bridesburg, Philadelphia Bridesburg is the northernmost neighborhood in the River Wards section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Bridesburg is an historically German and Irish community, with a significant community of Polish immigrants who arrived mostly in ...

arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

, however plans to purchase cannon did not come to fruition. With the plans for Fenian Raids being devised, Tevis would lead the left wing of the assault on Canada in May 1866. He organised and would transport 3,000 Fenian raiders leaving from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, then linking up with Fenians in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

to steam up

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

to land for operations in

Goderich, Ontario Goderich ( or ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County, Ontario, Huron County. The town was founded by John Galt (novelist), John Galt and William "Tiger" Dunlop of the Canada Company in 1827. First ...

. The Western invasion did not come to pass because Tevis was unable to organise the invader's transportation. Major General Sweeny dismissed Brig. Gen. C. C. Tevis, Adjutant General, for disobedience of orders. Though there are theories that the United States Government did not want the Fenian plans to actually succeed, Tevis was in the pay of the British Crown as a

secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

for £100 each month.Kenna, Shane ''War in the Shadows: The Irish-American Fenians Who Bombed Victorian Britain'' Merrion Press, 30 Nov. 2013 He would remain providing information to Her Majesty's Secret Service for years to come. The British Ambassador to the United States

Frederick Wright-Bruce Sir Frederick William Adolphus Wright-Bruce, GCB (14 April 1814 – 19 September 1867) was a British diplomat. Early life Frederick Bruce was the youngest of the three sons of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and his second wife Elizabeth, yo ...

reported that Tevis "quarreled with the Fenian leaders and is now ready to do them as much harm as possible".

The Army of the Pope

Though the 1853 announcement of Tevis's

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

to Roman Catholicism mentioned that he would join the Army of the Papal States as an officer, it was not until after his Fenian adventures that Tevis enlisted as a

private soldier A private is a soldier, usually with the lowest rank in many armies. Soldiers with the rank of Private may be conscripts or they may be professional (career) soldiers. The term derives from the medieval term "private soldiers" (a term still us ...

in the

Papal Zouaves The Papal Zouaves ( it, Zuavi Pontifici) were an infantry battalion, later regiment, dedicated to defending the Papal States. Named after the French zouave regiments, the ' were mainly young men, unmarried and Catholic, who volunteered to assist ...

an international legion of soldiers. With the Papal States facing continued opposition from those Italians desiring Rome be incorporated into a united Italy, Tevis proposed he recruit a separate battalion of battle experienced American soldiers to fight for the Pope with Tevis being commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel. Tevis fired off a barrage of letters to the

Freeman's Journal The ''Freeman's Journal'', which was published continuously in Dublin from 1763 to 1924, was in the nineteenth century Ireland's leading nationalist newspaper. Patriot journal It was founded in 1763 by Charles Lucas and was identified with radi ...

, an American Roman Catholic newspaper including a statement that if each Roman Catholic parish in the United States provided $100 in gold a year, a battalion of 1,000 fighters could be equipped and sent to Rome. Four American bishops opposed the scheme. Tevis was to be sent to the United States to drum up volunteers, but upon his arrival in Paris he heard of the opposition of the American bishops. Tevis resigned his commission. For his efforts the Pope knighted Tevis

Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting ...

on February 22, 1868 and ennobled him with the title of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. On March 10, 1869, Tevis he was appointed a Commander of the

Royal Order of Francis I The Royal Order of Francis I (properly 'The Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies' it, Reale Ordine di Francesco I) was an extinct order of merit of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies which was annexed in 1861 by the King of Italy (u ...

by order of the exiled

Francis II of the Two Sicilies , image = Francesco II of the Two Sicilies.JPG , caption = King Francis II , succession = King of the Two Sicilies , reign = 22 May 1859 – 20 March 1861 , predecessor = Ferdinand II , successor = ''Ki ...

Franco Prussian War

On the 14th of December 14, 1870, Tevis was granted the provisional rank of

Brigade General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...

and placed in command of General Camille Cremer's division's 2nd Brigade attached to the

Armée de l'Est The Armée de l'Est (''Army of the East''; German - Ostarmee; also Second Loire Army; nicknamed the 'Bourbaki army' after its first commander General Charles Denis Sauter Bourbaki) was a French army which took part in the Franco-Prussian War of ...

. Tevis's command included

Francs-tireurs (, French for "free shooters") were irregular military formations deployed by France during the early stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The term was revived and used by partisans to name two major French Resistance movements se ...

and

Garde Mobile {{italic title The ''Garde mobile'' ("Mobile Guard"; also called ''Garde nationale mobile'' though it had nothing to do with the '' Garde nationale'') was intended to be the body which would in effect conscript all who had been able to avoid milit ...

. Tevis's brigade fought in several battles of the war where he was wounded at the

Battle of the Lisaine The Battle of the Lisaine, also known as the Battle of Héricourt, was fought from 15 January to 17 January 1871 between German and French forces. The French were led by Charles Denis Bourbaki, and were attempting to relieve the Siege of Belfor ...

concluding with the Battle of Chenebier in January 1871 where the French troops under their General

Charles-Denis Bourbaki Charles Denis Sauter Bourbaki (22 April 1816, Pau – 22 September 1897, Bayonne) was a French general. Career Bourbaki was born at Pau, the son of Greek colonel Constantin Denis Bourbaki, who died in the War of Independence in 1827. He was ...

marched into Switzerland and were interned. General Tevis became a French citizen in January 1871 and was made a Chevalier in the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

The Army of Egypt

In 1870

Khedive Khedive (, ota, خدیو, hıdiv; ar, خديوي, khudaywī) was an honorific title of Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.Adam Mestyan"Kh ...

Isma'il Pasha Isma'il Pasha ( ar, إسماعيل باشا ; 12 January 1830 – 2 March 1895), was the Khedive of Egypt and conqueror of Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of Great Britain. Sharing the ambitious outlook of his gran ...

of Egypt sought to modernise his army and was eager to reduce reliance on French military advisors at a time when French and British government and banking interests were increasing their demands, including demands for laborers in digging the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

. An American adventurer named Thaddeus P. Mott connected the Khedive's government to American General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

, then President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Commanding General of the United States Army The Commanding General of the United States Army was the title given to the service chief and highest-ranking officer of the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), prior to the establishment of the Chief of Staff of the ...

. Sherman recommended former American General

Charles Pomeroy Stone Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 – January 24, 1887) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor. He fought with distinction in the Mexican–American War, earning two brevet promotions for his performan ...

for the job. General Stone was commissioned an Egyptian Lieutenant General and

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the Egyptian Army. General Stone, or "Ferik Pasha", recruited several American veterans of varying ranks who served with both the Federal Government and the Confederacy including Tevis. Tevis was commissioned in 1872 as a Brigadier-General and commanded the Military Engineering School at

Abbassia Abbassia ( ar, العباسية ) is a neighbourhood in Cairo, Egypt. The Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo is located in Abbassia. The medical faculty of Ain Shams University and its affiliate hospital units are located in Ab ...

, in Cairo. Tevis left the service of Egypt in 1873. He was one of about fifty Americans who served in the Egyptian Army during the era of

Khedive Ismail Isma'il Pasha ( ar, إسماعيل باشا ; 12 January 1830 – 2 March 1895), was the Khedive of Khedivate of Egypt, Egypt and conqueror of Sudan (region), Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when Tewfik Pasha, he was removed at the behest of Great Bri ...

; relative to the others, his stint in Egypt was one of the shortest.

War Correspondent and journalist

His military leadership days behind him, Tevis acted as a journalist for both the ''

Philadelphia Times ''The Times'' was a daily newspaper published from March 13, 1875, to August 11, 1902, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The paper was founded by Alexander McClure and Frank McLaughlin as an independent voice against party machine politics and corrup ...

'' and the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''. For the latter he resided in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

during the

Romanian War of Independence The Romanian War of Independence is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), following which Romania, fighting on the Russian side, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On , Romania and the R ...

from April to November 1877 where he wrote an account of the

Siege of Plevna The siege of Pleven, was a major battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, fought by the joint army of Russia and Romania against the Ottoman Empire. After the Russian army crossed the Danube at Svishtov, it began advancing towards t ...

. He covered the war until being expelled by the Russians. In 1878 he was one of the United States Commissioners at the Exposition Universelle.

Double Agent On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Whilst residing in Paris Tevis provided information to Great Britain acting as a double agent on plots by both Fenians and

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Duleep Singh Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh, GCSI (4 September 1838 – 22 October 1893), or Sir Dalip Singh, and later in life nicknamed the "Black Prince of Perthshire", was the last ''Maharaja'' of the Sikh Empire. He was Maharaja Ranjit Singh's youngest son ...

, who proclaimed himself "the Sovereign of the Sikh nation and Implacable Foe of the British Government" in a plot for a

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

Uprising in India using Russian assistance.

Personal life

Tevis had a wife prior to Blanche Florance, but nothing is known about her. Tevis and Blanche Florance had one child, Marie-Adele Florance Tevis (August 11, 1865- 1936) who married Henri Etienne Esperance Gouget de Landres (14 February 1852 – 15 June 1937) later a General in the French cavalry on 1 April 1888 in Paris. Tevis and Blanche divorced on January 12, 1885. Blanche died 28 June 1924 at her home in Paris, France. Washington/Charles Carroll Tevis died in Paris on September 29, 1900; and was buried there at

Montparnasse Cemetery Montparnasse Cemetery (french: link=no, Cimetière du Montparnasse) is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery ...

Tevis in popular culture

James Weber Brown played the role of General Tevis in ''

The Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, suc ...

'' (2017).

George Augustus Henry Sala George Augustus Henry Fairfield Sala (November 1828 – 8 December 1895) was an author and journalist who wrote extensively for the ''Illustrated London News'' as G. A. S. and was most famous for his articles and leaders for ''The Daily Telegra ...

's 1856 short stories ''The Dalgetty Race'' published in ''Household Words'' edited by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

and ''A Journey Due North : Being Notes of a Residence in Russia'' feature an American soldier of fortune "Nessim Bey" under the name "Washington Lafayette Bowie".''Household Words'' April 5, 1866 Vol 13

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