 His farm manager, Jacob Palmer, learned that Jayhawkers planned to murder Jefferys, ostensibly under the assumption that he had assisted the local rebel guerrillas and for his ownership of slaves.William Quantrill often stayed at the farm of David Tate on Red Bridge, just two miles away, and one of Quantrill's lieutenants, George Todd, owned a farm along the Blue River at Red Bridge (he and his father built the original Red Bridge over the river).Learning of the threat, Jefferys' wife begged him to leave, but as he feared the Jayhawkers would burn the farm, he remained while sending his wife and children to Philadelphia to stay with his wife's family.