TARIK TANSU YİĞİT RECONSTRUCTING THE SELF AND THE AMERICAN: CIVIL WAR VETERANS IN KHEDIVAL EGYPT RECONSTRUCTING THE SELF AND THE CIVIL WAR VETERANS IN KHEDIVAL EGYPT A Ph.D. Dissertation by TARIK TANSU YİĞİT AMERICAN : Bilkent University Bilkent Department of History İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Ankara August 2020 20 20 To my grandmother/babaanneme. RECONSTRUCTING THE SELF AND THE AMERICAN: CIVIL WAR VETERANS IN KHEDIVAL EGYPT The Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University by TARIK TANSU YİĞİT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY İHSAN DOĞRAMACI BİLKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA August 2020 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. ----------------------------- Asst. Prof. Dr. Kenneth Weisbrode Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. ----------------------------- Prof. Dr. Tanfer Emin Tunç Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. ----------------------------- Asst. Prof. Dr. Owen Miller Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. ---------------------------- Asst. Prof. Dr. Bahar Gürsel Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. ----------------------------- Asst. Prof. Dr. Daniel Johnson Examining Committee Member Approval of the Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences ----------------------------- Prof. Dr. Halime Demirkan Director ABSTRACT RECONSTRUCTING THE SELF AND THE AMERICAN: CIVIL WAR VETERANS IN KHEDIVAL EGYPT Yiğit, Tarık Tansu Ph.D., Department of History Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Kenneth Weisbrode August 2020 Between 1869 and 1878, American officers from both sides of the Civil War were recruited into the Egyptian Army. The former foes collaborated in reforming the khedival military by reorganizing the units and professional training, building up defenses, exploring territories down to Equatorial Provinces, and mapping the peripheries. As an earlier example of ex-Confederate-Union amalgamation, the Egyptian experience provided the veterans, whom post-war economic and political conditions in the United States pushed for new quests to restore their professional and economic dignity. This dissertation narrates the story of their sojourn in Egypt, their activities, how they were able to reconcile in a profoundly foreign setting, and the sense of alienation in the host society, which contributed to this (re)constructed national identity. Keywords: American Civil War, Egypt, Honor, Reconciliation, Veterans. iii ÖZET İTİBAR VE AMERİKALI KİMLİĞİNİN YENİDEN İNŞASI: AMERİKAN İÇ SAVAŞI VETERANLARININ MISIR DENEYİMİ Yiğit, Tarık Tansu Doktora, Tarih Bölümü Tez Danışmanı: Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Kenneth Weisbrode Ağustos 2020 1869-1878 yılları arasında Amerikan İç Savaşı’nın her iki tarafından yaklaşık elli subay Mısır ordusunda görev almıştır. Konfederasyon-Birlik veteranları arasındaki uzlaşının erken bir örneği olan Amerikan “misyonu,” Mısır askeri teşkilatının yeniden düzenlenmesi, savunma yapılarının istihkam edilmesi, Ekvator kuşağına uzanan keşifler ve çevre bölgelerin haritalandırılmasında işbirliği yapmışlardır. Mısır deneyimi, savaş sonrası ekonomik ve politik koşulların yeni arayışlara ittiği veteranlara, mesleki ve ekonomik itibarlarını yeniden tesis edebilecekleri bir restorasyon olanağı sunmuştur. Amerikalı subayların kişisel arayışları ve Mısır’daki faaliyetlerine odaklanan bu çalışma, ayrıca, veteranların kültürel açıdan oldukça yabancı bir ortamda nasıl bir araya gelebildiklerini ve tecrübe ettikleri yabancılık hissinin grup içinde Amerikan kimliğinin yeniden inşasına nasıl katkıda bulunduğunu incelemektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Amerikan İç Savaşı, İtibar, Mısır, Uzlaşı, Veteranlar. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT When “two roads diverge in a wood,” you either take “the one less traveled by” or the one many followed before you. One is exciting with the allure of the unknown, and the other is safe with the comfort of familiarity. I have undertaken the challenging yet exhilarating task of following both, namely academia and professional life, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes returning to the start after running through one. Perhaps it was not the best decision. Still, it made all the difference. It was a long journey, during which my road has crossed with some excellent mentors who made valuable contributions at each level. My advisor Kenneth Weisbrode, Tanfer E. Tunç, Owen Miller, and Edward Kohn have always been a great help during the painful writing process and became my role models with their kindness to share their wisdom throughout my doctoral study. Without their scholarly guidance, friendly advice, patience, and everlasting motivation, this degree would not be earned. I owe special thanks to Akif Kireçci and Bahar Gürsel for their kind reviews, feedback, and joyful cooperation to make this dissertation stronger as well as their ever-growing support in general. As a student with converging interests in American Studies, I am glad to be a “seasoned” member of Bilkent History and Hacettepe American Culture and Literature families. I sincerely thank my professors in both departments for a decade of guidance, which made me what I am today. I am also grateful to The Turkish v Fulbright Commission for supporting my research in the United States; Cemal Kafadar for his boundless inspiration and for sponsoring my fellowship at the Harvard History Department; cohorts from whom I learned a lot at the loveliest Yard; the helpful staff of NARA, Library of Congress, UNC Wilson Library, Madison Historical Society Library and Harvard libraries who altogether fascinated me with their courtesy; editors of The Journal of the Civil War Era for their review of my article which is an offspring of this broader text; Fisun, Ali, and Raul for kindly tolerating my class/teaching days out of office and early morning drinks; Nil Tekgül for her encouragement during the coffee breaks at lovely Lamont Library; Berrak Burçak, Abdi, Can, Burcu, Ayşegül, Murat, Doğuş, Turaç, Mert, Sena, and Merve for all the great memories as well as petty miseries on AZ, HZ corridors; Watchmen for keeping me in the club although I still haven’t watched The Wire; Josh for his meticulous reading of my article draft; Franze, Konrad and little Leyla for opening the study-terrace; Line, Tim, and Adelie for threshold talks at midnight; Cem and Aytaç for the muse of music both in Cambridge and on the narrow lanes of Eastern Turkey; Polat, Burak and Eda for making things more accessible; Burçak, İpek, Pelin, Esin, Eda, Gizem, Duygu, Emel and Cagla for their lifelong friendship. My sister has looked at me with some sort of admiration in her words, but she proved to be more influential on her students in a small town not far from where the land meets Lake Van. I admire her diligence, while her tendency to minimize her abilities drive me crazy. My parents do not understand what I am doing –it seems they gave up! According to mom, I should have retired from studying long before and had a night of better sleep, instead. Nevertheless, it is always relieving to know that the family members would do everything in their best capacity to make you cheerful. Mine have done so. I dedicate this humble work to the memory of my beloved vi grandma, who passed away recently, leaving me in unmatched despair. Still, I am relieved to know she knew that I loved her with all my heart. Thanks, in all languages, spoken and dead. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iii ÖZET ......................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT ........................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 1.1. Literature Review .................................................................................... 6 1.2. Terminology: Honor .............................................................................. 20 1.3. Terminology: The Nature of Absence ................................................... 24 1.4. Outline ................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER II: CALLING OF THE “ARABIAN NIGHTS” ON THE NILE .......... 35 2.1. “People Ready to Hop:” Pushing Factors .............................................. 38 2.2. Khedive’s Interest in the American Expertise ....................................... 45 2.3. Recruitment, Responses, and Characteristics of the American Group .. 49 2.4. Conclusion ............................................................................................