9 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 8 ▁Champion net ▁was ▁named ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Arm ée ▁de ▁Rome ▁which ▁was ▁protect ing ▁the ▁infant ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁against ▁the ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁court ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁fleet . ▁N omin ally ▁ 3 2 , 0 0 0 ▁strong , ▁the ▁army ▁scarcely ▁number ed ▁ 8 0 0 0 ▁effect ives , ▁with ▁a ▁bare ▁fifteen ▁cart rid ges ▁per ▁man . ▁Le ading ▁the ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁army , ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁general ▁Karl ▁Mack ▁von ▁Le iber ich ▁had ▁a ▁ten fold ▁superior ity ▁in ▁numbers , ▁but ▁Champion net ▁held ▁his ▁own ▁and ▁captured ▁Nap les ▁itself , ▁and ▁there ▁established ▁the ▁Par then op ae an ▁Republic . ▁His ▁inten se ▁earnest ness ▁and ▁int ol er ance ▁of ▁opposition , ▁plus ▁his ▁pen chant ▁for ▁lo oting ▁and ▁an ▁unw illing ness ▁to ▁cur b ▁at roc ities ▁by ▁his ▁troops , ▁soon ▁em bro iled ▁him ▁with ▁the ▁civil ▁population . ▁ ▁He ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁quar rel ▁with ▁Guillaume - Char les ▁Fa ip ou lt , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁“ Re present atives ▁on ▁mission ” ▁( polit ical ▁comm iss ar ), ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁with ▁the ▁accus ation ▁of ▁gra ft , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁time . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁however , ▁saw ▁him ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁as ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of