During August the Free-State Northerners decided to take action against four Southern strongholds in the area to help put an end to the pro-slavery cause in Kansas.
From period sources, it is not completely clear how a Free-State group of men took possession of New Georgia's fort.
[2][3][4][5] There is only partial agreement as to how the Northern partisans took possession of the New Georgia fort, but the information obtained by Bondi and Gilpatrick helped in the planning to take the place.
The group of men intending to run the Southerners out of New Georgia left Lawrence, Kansas, on August 5.
The retreating Georgians moved from New Georgia to Fort Saunders, another Southern stronghold, located southwest of Lawrence.