The battle was fought in Nipe Bay, Cuba, by four United States Navy warships against the Spanish sloop-of-war Jorge Juan and three gunboats which were supported by forts guarding the harbor.

Nipe Bay had been designated as a rendezvous point for American naval forces delegated to attack Puerto Rico.

Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, the Spanish sailed the small gunboat Baracoa upriver and scuttled her to prevent her capture by the superior American force.

Just as the fighting came to an end, U.S. Navy personnel boarded Jorge Juan's sinking hulk, stripping several items from it as trophies.

The Americans suffered few, if any, casualties and a few days after the battle the small squadron received orders to depart.