On May 25, 1857, Ezra's mother Jane (MCCOTTER) GEORGE died and was buried in the McGlothlin Cemetery in Andrew County. (This date was discovered on the back of Enoch GEORGE's fallen tombstone in 1999 by Karene STEVENS, of Ezra's older brother Isaac Newton GEORGE's line.)

Around this time in the later 1850s, some of the GEORGE relatives moved west, at least for awhile, just across the Missouri River into Doniphan County KS. The Kansas Territory had been opened to white settlers with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Doniphan County was within sight of Andrew County, just west across the Missouri River. Once again, Indian tribes were being removed from the Kansas area to provide more room for westward expansion from eastern states, and the pre-Civil War issues of states rights and slavery were being debated heatedly. For a time, as pro and anti slavery settlers struggled to become the majority in Kansas Territory, some of the GEORGEs had first hand experience knowing what "Bloody Kansas" was really like.

In the 1860 Andrew County MO census, 18 year old Ezra, his father Enoch, and several of Enoch's younger children were living with older brother, Reuben Andrew GEORGE and his wife, Mary Jane HOBSON GEORGE and their children.

Of all the following research, the one consistent is that Ezra fought for the Union in Missouri. After this, the Missouri State Archives has some contradictory records on Ezra's service, as follows.

On September 26, 1861 at Savannah, MO, Ezra GEORGE enrolled to fight for the Union in Kimball's Six Months Military, Company C as a Sergeant under Captain HOBSON. He was ordered into active service the same day in Savannah. His age is not given on the registration form, provided by the Missouri State Archives. Ezra, who was "Absent on detached service day of Muster", was relieved from duty on April 8, 1862.

It is a bit confusing that there was a form on George EZRA, aged 21, who enlisted at Savannah, MO on August 6 1862 with the 35th Reg't Inf. Vols as a Corporal in Company C under Captain Vanderpool. He mustered in on September 30 1862 at "B. Brks. MO" and died December 10 1863 at Savannah MO. The Missouri State Archives index shows that this Company C 35th Infantry Volunteers information applied both to Ezra GEORGE and George EZRA, so perhaps they were one and the same person.

There is also information that George EZRA was a Staff Sergeant under Captain Wells in the 41st Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, Company F who enrolled and organized July 29th, 1862 at St. Joseph, MO, then was ordered into active service July 29th, 1862 at Andrews County, MO by General Loan. He was relieved from duty April 8th 1863 by General Hall. A remark adds that he enlisted in the US Service August 7th, 1862.

Family researcher, Mary Jane Rieth had received information that Ezra (also listed as GEO, Ezra) had enlisted at St. Joseph MO on Jan 31 1862 and had deserted from Berry's Battalion of the Missouri Cavalry on August 30, 1861. (Of course, these dates do not make sense, and the Missouri State Archives in 2001 said there was neither an Ezra GEORGE or George EZRA in that Battalion.)