In January 1797, Jozsef Alvinczi assigned Lusignan command of the 1st Column during the fourth attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua.
His commander ordered him to take four battalions and 12 companies of light infantry, totalling 4,556 men, on the army's extreme right flank. "
Lusignan was faced with the almost Herculean task of leading his men along the top of the chain of mountain peaks (collectively known as Monte Baldo) that separates the Adige from the northern arm of Lake Garda, and runs parallel with them.
In the winter, it was a featureless wasteland of snow and ice, the highest point of which lay ten miles north of Rivoli, and rose to the not inconsiderable height of 7,279 feet."

Not surprisingly, Lusignan's march fell behind schedule in the next few days.
However, he persevered under the extraordinary conditions and reached his assigned position.
During the Battle of Rivoli, Alvinczi instructed him to make another flank march, this time to a position in rear of Napoleon Bonaparte's French army.
He carried out his orders, but found himself isolated on a hill far from the action.
By the afternoon of 14 January, Bonaparte defeated the other Austrian columns.
Attacked from the north by André Masséna's troops and blocked from the south by a division under Gabriel Venance Rey, Lusignan tried to break out to the west.
His soldiers were captured by the hundreds as they collapsed from their recent exertions.
Historian David G. Chandler states that 3,000 men from the 1st Column were taken prisoner.
However, Lusignan escaped capture.

On 28 February 1797, Lusignan became a General-Major.
While commanding the rearguard two weeks later, he was captured during Archduke Charles's retreat from northeast Italy.

He served in Italy during the War of the Second Coalition.
On 5 April 1799, he led a brigade in Michael Frölich's division at the Battle of Magnano, where he was wounded three times.
At times during 1799, he served as acting commander of the division.
He led a division in action at Marengo on 16 May 1799, He commanded a brigade under Michael von Melas at the Battle of Novi on 15 August.
Emperor Francis II promoted him Feldmarschallleutnant on 30 January 1801.
In January 1797, Jozsef Alvinczi assigned Lusignan command of the 1st Column during the fourth attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua. His commander ordered him to take four battalions and 12 companies of light infantry, totalling 4,556 men, on the army's extreme right flank. "Lusignan was faced with the almost Herculean task of leading his men along the top of the chain of mountain peaks (collectively known as Monte Baldo) that separates the Adige from the northern arm of Lake Garda, and runs parallel with them. In the winter, it was a featureless wasteland of snow and ice, the highest point of which lay ten miles north of Rivoli, and rose to the not inconsiderable height of 7,279 feet."
Not surprisingly, Lusignan's march fell behind schedule in the next few days. However, he persevered under the extraordinary conditions and reached his assigned position. During the Battle of Rivoli, Alvinczi instructed him to make another flank march, this time to a position in rear of Napoleon Bonaparte's French army. He carried out his orders, but found himself isolated on a hill far from the action. By the afternoon of 14 January, Bonaparte defeated the other Austrian columns. Attacked from the north by André Masséna's troops and blocked from the south by a division under Gabriel Venance Rey, Lusignan tried to break out to the west. His soldiers were captured by the hundreds as they collapsed from their recent exertions. Historian David G. Chandler states that 3,000 men from the 1st Column were taken prisoner. However, Lusignan escaped capture.
On 28 February 1797, Lusignan became a General-Major. While commanding the rearguard two weeks later, he was captured during Archduke Charles's retreat from northeast Italy.
He served in Italy during the War of the Second Coalition. On 5 April 1799, he led a brigade in Michael Frölich's division at the Battle of Magnano, where he was wounded three times. At times during 1799, he served as acting commander of the division. He led a division in action at Marengo on 16 May 1799, He commanded a brigade under Michael von Melas at the Battle of Novi on 15 August. Emperor Francis II promoted him Feldmarschallleutnant on 30 January 1801.
Franz Joseph, Marquis de Lusignan