Franjo Jelačić Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski ( English : Franz Jellacic , also Francis Yellachich of Buzhim or German : Franz Jellačić von Buzim , Hungarian : Ferenc Jellacsics de Buzim ) ( 14 April 1746 – 4 February 1810 ) was a Croatian nobleman , a member of the House of Jelačić . He began his service in the Habsburg army as a Grenz infantry officer and fought against the Ottoman Turks . During the French Revolutionary Wars he received promotion to the rank of general officer and won an outstanding victory . His later career proved that his martial abilities were limited . He twice led independent division - sized forces in the Napoleonic Wars , with unhappy results . He was Proprietor ( Inhaber ) of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1802 until his death . Early career . Born in 1746 at Petrinja in the Kingdom of Croatia of the Habsburg Monarchy , Jelačić became an officer cadet in the 1st Banal Grenz Infantry Regiment in 1763 . He was appointed to Captain in 1772 and Major in 1783 . He participated in the Austro - Turkish War ( 1787 - 1791 ) and earned promotion to Oberstleutnant ( lieutenant colonel ) . Still serving with the Grenz infantry of the Habsburg Monarchy army , Jelačić was elevated to the rank of Oberst ( Colonel ) in 1794 . He fought in the War of the First Coalition on the upper Rhine River , at the Battle of Würzburg , and in other actions . His promotion to General - Major came through in March 1797 . On 23 March 1799 at Feldkirch in the Voralberg , Jelačić led his 5 , 500 soldiers to victory over 12 , 000 Frenchmen commanded by Jean - Joseph , Marquis Dessolles . The Austrians inflicted 3 , 000 casualties on their enemies at a cost of 900 killed and wounded . His command included the 3rd battalions of the " Kaunitz " Infantry Regiment # 20 , " De Vins " Infantry Regiment # 37 , and " Peterwardeiner " Grenz Regiment # 9 ; the 2nd battalion of the " St . George " Gernz Infantry # 6 , and the 1st battalion of the " Broder " Grenz Infantry Regiment # 7 . For this remarkable feat , he received promotion to Feldmarschall - Leutnant ( Lieutenant Field Marshal ) and was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa . He was also given the title of hereditary baron . In 1802 Emperor Francis II appointed him proprietor of " Franz Jellačić " Infantry Regiment # 62 , a new Hungarian outfit . This unit should not be confused with the " Johann Jellačić " Infantry Regiment # 53 . In 1801 , his wife Ana Portner von Höflein gave birth to their son Josip Jelačić , who also became a general and supported the Austrian regime during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 . Napoleonic Wars . In 1805 , Jelačić commanded a corps in the army of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria - Este and Karl Mack von Leiberich during the Ulm Campaign . At first his troops defended Biberach an der Riss . Around 6 October , Mack ordered Jelačić to move toward Ulm . At this time , Jelačić commanded 15 , 000 troops organized in 16 infantry battalions , six jäger companies , and six cavalry squadrons . Emperor Napoleon I of France and his Grande Armée began to envelop the Austrian army . During the Battle of Wertingen on 8 October , the Battle of Günzburg on 9 October , and the Battle of Haslach - Jungingen on 11 October , the Grande Armée began to close in on its prey . On the 12th , Mack reorganized his army , making Jelačić one of four corps commanders , the others being Johann Sigismund Riesch , Franz von Werneck , and Karl Philipp , Prince of Schwarzenberg . He then ordered Jelačić to march south toward the Tyrol via Ochsenhausen for no explainable reason . Jelačić ' s troops escaped the Surrender of Ulm and made it to the Voralberg near Lake Constance . Napoleon assigned Marshal Pierre Augereau and his 12 , 000 - man corps to hunt down Jelačić . In a series of small actions , Augereau drove the Austrians steadily back and managed to split their forces apart . Jelačić surrendered to Augereau with his remaining 4 , 000 troops at Dornbirn on 13 November . Under the terms of surrender , the Austrians were repatriated to Bohemia with the promise not to fight against France for one year . One thousand of his cavalry , under General - Major Christian Wolfskeel von Reichenberg and Colonels Wartensleben and Kinsky , made a remarkable march through Bavaria and reached Bohemia in safety . Another portion of the Voralberg force under Prince Viktor Rohan tried to reach Venice but was caught 40 kilometers short of its goal . Rohan surrendered to Laurent Gouvion Saint - Cyr and Jean Reynier at Castelfranco Veneto . Jelačić soon retired from military service . Brought out of retirement for the War of the Fifth Coalition , Jelačić took command of an infantry division in Johann von Hiller ' s VI Armeekorps . Originally , the division included two line infantry brigades under Konstantin von Ettingshausen and Josef Hoffmeister von Hoffeneck . On the outbreak of war , Hoffmeister ' s brigade was exchanged for the light brigade of Karl Dollmayer von Provenchères . The division was detached from VI Armeekorps and sent to occupy Munich . After the Austrian defeats at the battles of Abensberg , Landshut , and Eckmuhl from 20 to 22 April 1809 , Hiller retreated rapidly east and Jelačić was ordered back to Salzburg . Jelačić ' s 10 , 000 - man division was assigned to the army of Archduke John of Austria . On 29 April the Bavarians occupied Salzburg as Jelačić slipped away to the south . He successfully defended the Lueg Pass near Golling an der Salzach on 1 and 4 – 5 May , twice defeating a Bavarian brigade . He sent Provenchères and almost all of his cavalry to join the main army . John desired Jelačić to join him , but his orders were ambiguously worded . Misinterpreting his orders as requiring him to hold his isolated position , he stayed in place until 19 May . When Jelačić finally realized his danger and withdrew toward Graz , it was too late . Believing his artillery to be of little use in the mountains , he sent most of it ahead of his column , retaining only four cannons . On 25 May , Paul Grenier ' s 12 , 000 to 15 , 000 strong Franco - Italian corps caught up with his division at the Battle of Sankt Michael near Leoben on 25 May . Without sufficient artillery and cavalry support , Jelačić ' s 9 , 000 troops were overwhelmed , suffering 423 dead , 1 , 137 wounded , and 4 , 963 captured . French losses numbered only 670 . Historian Gunther E . Rothenberg called Jelačić " a remarkably unlucky and inept general . " Jelačić and his survivors joined Archduke John ' s retreat across Hungary . At the Battle of Raab , he commanded 7 , 500 infantry of the right flank division . With help from the army reserve , his soldiers drove off the first Franco - Italian attack , but the action ended in an Austrian defeat . He commanded his division at the Battle of Wagram but John ' s army arrived too late on the field to have any effect on the outcome . He died on 4 February 1810 at Zalaapáti in modern - day Hungary .