[1] The town of Newnansville, Florida had grown up along the Bellamy Road near the natural bridge over the Santa Fe River.

[3] In September 1836, reports reached Newnansville that up to 150 Seminoles had gathered at Colonel Francis Sanchez's plantation in San Felasco Hammock, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Newnansville, and were rounding up cattle and moving them south to Hogtown prairie.

On September 17, Seminoles fired on a party of five men attempting to harvest corn about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Newnansville.

The men escaped, and soldiers pursued the Seminoles to Sanchez's plantation, but returned to Newnansville after encountering a heavy rainstorm.

[4] Colonel John Warren led 100 (per Mahon) or 150 (per Yelton[a]) men, equipped with a howitzer, out the next day towards the Seminoles.