He served in the Armée du Rhin 1794-95 and entered the General Staff as an adjutant general to Solignac in the Armée d'Italie in February 1796. In 1797 he was promoted to capitaine d’Etat-major to the army in Italy and in October the following year became first aide de camp to André Masséna in the Armée d'Helvétie. He took part in the campaign in the Helvetic Republic and was promoted to Chef d'Escadron in the field at the First Battle of Zurich in 1799. He was seriously wounded twice by musket balls at the Siege of Genoa (1800).