Count Fyodor Tolstoy became the prototype for anecdotes about Lieutenant Rzhevsky and inspiration for various adventurous tales. His life was full of incredible adventures. At just 17, he challenged his commander to a duel over a remark, and throughout his life, he participated in more than 60 duels.

In 1803, finding himself in a difficult situation, Tolstoy was forced to leave Russia. He bribed a sailor and sailed to America on a ship, pretending to be a simple sailor. On board, he continued to seek adventures:

- He got the ship's priest drunk to the point of unconsciousness, and the priest fell overboard.
- He glued the priest's beard to the floor with sealing wax and placed a seal on it.
- He brought a pet monkey on board, taught it to stain papers with ink, and locked it in the captain's cabin, where it ruined important documents.
- He demanded to attack all passing English ships.
- He organized a saber tournament with drunken sailors who lost at cards.

The captain couldn't take it anymore and dropped Tolstoy off in Kamchatka. There, he lived for a while with the Aleuts, who took him to Alaska and gave him a tattoo across his entire back. From there, Tolstoy made his way home through Siberia, which took two years.

Upon his return, he earned the nickname American, which piqued the interest of his acquaintances. He claimed that in Kamchatka, he had to eat his pet monkey to survive.

The most famous incident occurred during the War of 1812. After drinking and losing a large sum at cards, Tolstoy woke up in captivity of the French. He introduced himself to the camp commander and promised not to escape. They believed him and did not guard him. Tolstoy moved freely around the camp, made acquaintances, and organized card games. The French lost money, and Tolstoy sometimes also faced defeats, all accompanied by abundant wine drinking. The camp turned into a place of revelry and decay. When this was reported to Napoleon, he decided to get rid of Tolstoy. The count was taken out of the camp, his winnings confiscated, and he was banned from returning. While the camp leadership faced punishment, Tolstoy the American returned to his unit, significantly enriched.