The West Florida was patrolling on Lake Pontchartrain when it encountered the Morris, which had set out from New Orleans with a Spanish and American crew headed by Continental Navy Captain William Pickles.
West Florida sedang berpatroli di Lake Pontchartrain ketika bertemu Morris, yang berlayar dari New Orleans dengan awak Spanyol dan Amerika Serikat yang dipimpin Kapten Angkatan Laut Kontinental William Pickles.