Serving as chief of staff to Spleny in the Turkish War from 1788, he won the Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross) of the Order of Maria Theresa for outstanding bravery at the Battle of Focsani in action against the Ottoman Turks.

He was born the eldest son of François-Gabriel-Joseph du Chasteler de Courcelles and Albertine, daughter of Johan, Graf von Thürnheim (1742–1765).

Elevated to Commander of the Order of Maria Theresa and made chief of staff in Southern Germany in 1800, he serving at Engen and Mösskirch, before leading a Brigade in the Tyrol, distinguishing himself at the action of Scharnitz.

At the opening of the War of the Third Coalition, in 1805 he was appointed to lead an advance guard division in the Tyrol, where he successfully covered the retreat of the Archduke John, notably at the Strub Pass.

He was brave as well as expert, but also bespectacled and short-sighted - an unfortunate combination of characteristics with brought him into the path of many a missile in the course of his career" [3] As the commander of an Army Corps in 1809 however his performance was "vacillating".