Loyalist Capt. David Fanning was bent on revenge after Capt. John Hinds had hanged two of his men at Deep River on May 9th. He focused his revenge on the regiment of Col. John Collier and Col. Andrew Balfour of the Randolph County Regiment of Militia since they were Capt. Hinds's superiors.

Capt. Fanning gathered seventeen men and set up an ambush at Buffalo Ford on the Deep River. Two hours later his scouts reported that Col. Collier's militia had been delayed because they had plundered a Loyalist home along the way.

Capt. Fanning and his men immediately rode to the house and attacked the Patriots. Within a half hour, the Loyalists had killed the Patriot captain and a private, wounded three others, and captured two more. They also seized eight horses and several swords.

This group of Loyalists pursued another group of Patriots and caught up to them the next morning. Capt. Fanning also defeated them, killing four, wounding three, capturing one man and their horses. He continued to pursue the survivors, killing one and capturing two more.