Battle of Kefalovriso

The Battle of Kefalovriso or Kefalovryso was fought in 1823 during the Greek War of Independence.

In August 1823, the Ottomans under Mustai Pasha of Skodra and Djelaleddin Bey, marched to western Rumeli building up their forces at Karpenisi for an attack at Mesolonghi. They had managed to muster some 12,000 men, mostly Muslim Gek Albanians with some 3,000 Albanian Catholics.

Markos Botsaris and his force of 1,250 men marched against them. En route, they got some local kapetanei to join them, adding another 2,000 to their number.

Botsaris then led a surprise attack with some 350 - 400 of his men on the Ottoman camp on the night of August 8 to August 9. In the ensuing battle, the Greek forces inflicted heavy casualties and captured much loot but Botsaris himself was shot in the forehead and killed. The Greeks withdrew as Zygouris Tzavelas failed to co-ordinate his attack with the men of Botsaris.

Ottoman casualties numbered around 1,000. The Greeks lost fewer than 50 men.

Botsaris' body was taken to Mesolonghi and buried on August 10. All Greece mourned his death.