Baudin then served in the West Indies on board the frigate Piémontaise and later the Sémillante, where he lost an arm in 1808 during her battle against HMS Terpsichore.

Although he was pursued by English cruisers, he was able to take his squadron safely to St. Tropez, notably engaging HMS Swallow on 11 June.

In this conflict he commanded the French forces at the Battle of Veracruz on 27 November 1838, against the fort of Vera Cruz, San Juan de Ulúa.

In January 1839, Baudin was named a Vice Admiral and in the following year he was entrusted with a military and diplomatic mission to Buenos Aires.

In this position, he took part in the Battle of Lazzaroni and of troops against Naples, and then moved toward Sicily, where he was defeated by the forces of Carlo Filangieri.