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In this article, the author, drawing on a wide array of figures and first-hand accounts, takes a look at the brutal detention of prisoners of war on the hellish island of Cabrera, starting with what set in motion this series of tragic events, namely the defeat at Baylen. After comparing testimonies and following, step by step, the movement of Dupont’s soldiers, the verdict is clear: the exceptional high death toll among the prisoners was a direct result of the cruelty and the carelessness of their captors. After having ascertained, on the basis of historical sources, whether there was a real chance of finding victim remains, archaeological work was begun in an attempt to locate the burial sites of the island’s unfortunate inmates.