 On 11 (or 12) July 1813, Westphal, by then first lieutenant of , led a group of boats into Ocracoke Inlet during Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn's campaign against Portsmouth and Ocracoke Island in North Carolina.Their targets were two privateer schooners, "Anaconda" and "Atlas", as well as a revenue cutter.As the British boats approached, the Americans opened fire.