Battle off Cape Palos

Part of Second Barbary War

Date	June 19, 1815
Location	Off Cape Palos, Mediterranean sea
Result	American victory

Belligerents

United States

Regency of Algiers

Commanders and leaders

Stephen Decatur, Jr.

unknown

Strength

1 sloop
1 brigantine
2 schooners

1 brig

Casualties and losses

None

1 brig captured
1 boat sunk
23 killed
~80 captured

The Battle off Cape Palos was the last battle of the Second Barbary War. The battle began when an American squadron under Stephen Decatur attacked and captured an Algerine brig.

After capturing the Algerine flagship Meshuda and sending her to Cartagena under the escort of USS Macedonian, Stephen Decatur and his squadron continued on their way towards Algiers. On June 19, 1815, they sighted the 22-gun Algerine brig Estedio.

Decatur began pursuit of Estedio and chased her into shoal waters near the coast of Spain off Cape Palos. Fearing that his larger vessels might get beached, he sent the smaller vessels in his squadron the USS Epervier, USS Spark, USS Torch, and USS Spitfire to deal with the brig. Here the vessels fought a short engagement lasting a half an hour before the Algerines began to abandon their vessel and surrender. As Estedio's crew members began to flee towards the cape in her boats, the American vessels began firing upon the boats, sinking one. The surviving 80 crew of Estedio surrendered. Besides the eighty captured, Estedio lost at least 23 men killed.

After the battle a prize crew took Estedio to Cartagena, where Spanish authorities interned her. They returned her to Algiers at the end of the war. Decatur's squadron regrouped and continued on its way to Algiers to force Dey Omar Agha to terms.

Coordinates: 37°37′14″N 0°39′23″W / 37.6206°N 0.6564°W / 37.6206; -0.6564

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