Riding several days ahead of the Fancher train was George A. Smith, Brigham Young's personal emissary. Smith's duty was to alert the Southern Mormons to the threat of the coming American army, and to ensure the remote communities at the edge of the Mormon empire were prepared to defend the vulnerable southern flank. Described as a rotund and blustering man, George Smith was well-suited to the task of fomenting anger and instilling fear among the sparsely populated outposts.
These remote areas were still caught up in the throes of the Reformation, and were especially receptive to Smith's message of hate and vengeance. President Brigham Young sent Smith to prepare the for the slaughter of the Fancher train.
George A. Smith was a cousin to the Mormon's founder Joseph Smith.
