The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-19 00:00:00

SARDINIA.

The Independanee Beige publishes the following
letter from Alessandria :
" ALESSANDRIA, MAY 13.
"Alessandria is almost entirely in the hands of
the French. The only Piedmontese here belong to
General Fanti's division ; the others are at Tortona
and the neighbourhood. A few days since there
were no less than 70,000 men in Alessandria ;
15,000 left the day before yesterday for Valenza
and Casale. An attack upon the fortresses was
not expected. consequently troops were sent where
it was thought their services might be required.
A concentration of troops can easily take place by
railway.
" Doubtless Alessandria will be intrusted to a
strong French garrison. It will be the general
depot of the army and hospitals. There is a tele-
graphic wire to Monte Castello, an elevation at the
other side of the Tanaro, where an observatory has
been erected which commands the whole valley of
the Po. From this point the movements of the
Austrians are carefully watched.
" Troops continue to pour in. in thesame train
by which I came were two squadrens of French
cavalry which had crossed Mont Cenis. Marshal
Canrobert has his head-quarters here. General
Niel left for Valenza the day before yesterday.
" There is a continual movement here. The King
has visited Alessandria three times within the last
few days. He left the other night only accompanied
by two aides-de-camp. Marshal Canrobert is con-

tinually visiting him at his head-quarters at San
Salvatore.
" I need not describe the fortifications. All for-
tresses bear a resemblance to each othei. The only
change recently made is a curtain which connects
all the detached forts with each other and with the
Citadel. Some of the streets have been closed at
each end and covered in with canvas to make
stables for the cavalry. Huts and tents have been
erected on every available spot. The officers are
quartered in privatehouses ; all the public establish-
ments have been turned into barrack§ or store-
houses. The Cathedral has been made the phar-
macy of the army. The streets swarm with uni-
forms.

" As yet not a gun has been fired from the walls
of Alessandria ; but we have heard firing in the
direction of Valenza.
"No civilian is allowed to remain here more than
24 hours without permission. The railway between
Aleksandria and Casale is chiefly occupied by the
transport of troops.
" Great preparations are being made to receive
the Emperor.
" A court-martial is now sitting on the Chev tiler
Prasca di Casale, accused of having given informa-
tion to the Austrians. He is a ,cousin of the Minis-
ter Cadorna. An Austrian officer was arrested last
night in one of the hotels as a spy. An actress who
had known him at Milan recognised him and
pointed him out to the authorities, while he was
conversing with a French officer.

" I have just visited the Citadel. I need not say
that lam bound not to give any information re•
specting it. The King has just passed through
with his staff, coming from Genoa."

The Moniteur gives the following account of the
Emperor Napoleon's departure from Genoa and of
his reception at Alessandria. His Majesty's
enthusiastic reception at Genoa has been already
narrated :—" The Emperor, accompanied by the
Ministers of the King of Piedmont, Count de
Chasseloup-Laubat, Minister of Algeria, and the
French Envoy at Turin, left Genoa on the 14th in
the midst of the same manifestations of enthusiasm
which have never ceased since the arrival of his
Majesty in Italy. The imperial train left at two
o'clock precisely by the railway for Alessandria.