VILLERAYE, Charles Stanislas, Viscount de, French adventurer, born in Provence about 1820; died in Guaymas, Mexico, 13 July, 1854. He fought in Spain for the cause of Don Carlos, but squandered his inheritance, and, after taking part in the troubles in southern France during the revolution of 1848, emigrated in the following year to California, where he labored in the gold district with little success. He was among the first to join Count de Raousset-Boulbon, his kinsman, became his secretary, and wrote the articles of incorporation of the "Restauroda" company, founded in Mexico in 1852 with the aid of French bankers, which obtained from the Mexican authorities a grant of gold-mines that had been abandoned on account of their proximity to the territory of the warlike Apaches. While Raousset completed his preparations in Mexico, Villeraye went to organize the expedition in San Francisco, where he was subsequently joined by Raousset, and on 1 June, 1852, they landed at Guaymas with 270 armed men, mostly Frenchmen, and two field-guns. General Blanco the Mexican commander in Sonora, prohibited their entrance into the country: but they marched to Hermosillo, stormed the place, and plundered stores and private houses, thus causing the whole country to rise in arms against them. Raousset sent Villeraye to negotiate the withdrawal of the expedition from Sonora, but General Blanco demanded an unconditional surrender. The French attacked the Mexican lines at the rancho of San Jose, 4 November, but were driven back after a desperate action, and compelled to capitulate. Raousset, Villeraye, and a few officers returned to San Francisco, but afterward went back to Mexico, where they were well received by Santa-Anna. Villeraye sought to enter the Mexican military service, but the successful expedition of William Walker to Lower California induced him to join Raousset in San Francisco in November, 1853, where he took the command of the re-enforcements that were sent by the latter to Walker. He landed at Guaymas, where he was surrounded and compelled to capitulate to the Mexican forces; but his party was released through the intervention of the commander of the British sloop " Dido," on the plea that they had arrived in a British merchant vessel. Nearly the whole party was afterward shipped back to San Francisco, but Villeraye and a few others entered a battalion of foreigners that had been mustered by the Mexican authorities for the protection of the state. The strength of this battalion was afterward increased by recruits sent purposely by Raousset, and when the latter landed, 1 July, 1854, at Algodones, near Guaymas, Villeraye was commander of one of the companies of the foreign battalion. Being secretly devoted to the cause of his former commander, he went over to him with the foreign legion at his attack on Guaymas, 13 July, 1854, and was killed in the midst of the action.