Their name was a misnomer: they were neither Navarrese nor guides, but captured Liberal troops from La Mancha, Valencia, Andalusia and other places who had been made prisoners at the Battle of Alsasua (April 22, 1834). After this battle, they had been faced with the choice of joining the Carlist troops or being executed. They were given distinctive red berets that had initially been rejected by other Carlist troops as headgear. They participated in the Battle of Alegría de Álava (October 27, 1834). The Guías de Navarra were fully integrated in 1836 into the Carlist army as a regular battalion.