The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-21 00:00:00

"ALVAREZ."
MADRID, Ana. 12.—Since the capital and the province
of New Castile was declared in a state of war everything
here has assumed a warlike aspect ; the streets are conti-
nually traversed by horse, foot, and artillery, the squares
are filled with troops, and the sound of trumpets, bugles,
and drums by turns stun the inhabitants—a strange contrast
with the ordinary sounds of serenading.
Night and day the National Guards have mustered, and
turned out with the greatest willingness and alacrity, hut
as yet this is only playing at soldiers, however harassing the
duty may be to those performing it, and gratifying to the
female lookers on. The community at large begins never-
theless to feel already some of the inconveniences of the
closer approximation of the struggle ; for instance, last night,
when the division of General Puig Samper arrived by forced
marches under the walls of Madrid, the Government thought
proper to embargo carriages, horses, and mules, for the pur-
pose of more rapidly transporting the wearied soldiers to
the actual theatre of war, and giving them an opportunity
of resting their limbs during their progress to the Guada-
rama mountains, that they might on their arrival be led to
battle refreshed by repose and sleep. This measure was
sepposed to extend only to hackney-coaches, fiacres, and
calcsinas—that is, grotesque old-fashioned one-horse chaises,
of which there is a great number here ; but I am informed
that it includes all private carriages, without exception.
Two convoys of carriages left this during the night ; and
yesterday even the diligences and carts unloading at the
Custom-house were embargoed and sent to meet Espartero's
division, which slept at Guadalaxara, to convey it by Alcala,
without entering Madrid, to the line occupied by Mendez
Vigo. Eight companies of Cacadores of the National Guard
and the 4th battalion march thither this zfternoon at their
own part'cular request, as it was feared the Carlists would
get between Mendez Vigo and Madrid. 30, or according to
others 50, wounded have arrived here from that General's
corps, which had yestei day afternoon another brush w ith the
rebels. As the united corps of Mendez Vigo and Aspiroz
arc still far inferior to the bands of Guergue and Zariategui,
the reinforcement of Puig Samper and Esparterio arrives
just in the nick of time, for the enemy, whcse strength
was evidently much underrated, has increased his force
with an addition of upwards of 2,000 men since his occu-
pation of Segovia on the .sth instant, if we may believe the
assertion of the Pretender's partisans here, that within 24
hours of that petiod 600 of the former Royalist Volunteers,
inhabitants of Segovia, fully armed, equipped, and clothed,
joined Guergue, and many more from the adjoining towns
and villages ; besides, the Carlists take by force the young
men who do not enlist voluntarily, wherever they have time
for it, of which they have planty in these eminently Carlist
districts. Avc ry bad feature of the case is, if true, for which
I cannot vouch, that 36 men of the Keine Gobernadora Ca-
cadores, who were stationed at La Granja, have gone over to
the Carlists with arms and haggage in a body, and incorpo-
rated themselves with them. As this regiment is considered a
crack corps, and has been always extremely well-clothed,
fed, and regularly paid, and has consequently no pretence
for discontent, such an abandonment of their colours would
be a very unfortunate example to the rest of the army-
-nay, in fact, the possible contagion of desertion would
form a greater calamity than a.defeat to the Queen's cause.
As a set off against it, `there is an instance of signal fide-
lity and devotedness of Sergeant Delgaco,, of the same re-
giment, who was charged with 20 men to carry a supply of
ammunition and some money to Segovia ; but, finding La
Granja already in the hands of the rebels, he rendered the
powder he could not save useless, by throwing it into a
pond, retreating into the pine woods, and sending before
him a cart laden with money and valuable effects. The
Carlists in vain pursued this handful of gallant fellows to a
certain distance, but the sergeant saved himself, his charge,
and his men, in these craggy mountains.
At Segovia the Carlists boast :of having taken seven
pieces of artillery, four of which were two-pounders, or
mere long-boat swivels, and seven cartloads of muskets, an