The day following the return of his men, however, a brother named Stewart called upon him for counsel; and before leaving loaned him a sum of money sufficient to relieve him of his embarrassments, and we have him saying joyfully, "I felt thankful to the Lord that He had opened my way, as He always does in time of need."
Meantime from England reports of transgression, wild financial schemes, chicanery and fraud reached the authorities—reports which were confirmed by manifestations of the Spirit to President Young.
After the Twelve took the direction of the affairs of the Church, in August, 1844, they sent Wilford Woodruff to preside over the British Mission, a post he filled until called away to join the Saints in their exodus from the United States. On his departure Reuben Hedlock was appointed to preside over the mission with Thomas Ward and John Banks for counselors. Soon after the departure of Apostle Woodruff an agitation was set on foot to found what was called "The British and American Joint Stock Company." The ostensible purposes for which this company was organized were to engage in commercial enterprises with a view of enriching the Church, emigrating the poor Saints to America, shipping machinery, etc., and founding manufactures in the new gathering place in the wilderness, and to operate in building up the kingdom of God generally.
Announcing these as the objects to be accomplished, it was not difficult to induce the Saints to take stock in the concern, and hundreds of pounds were subscribed and paid to Hedlock and his coadjutors. Much of this means was squandered by Hedlock and his associates instead of being used for the purposes for which the company had been organized.
Upon hearing these reports Elder Taylor, in connection with Orson Hyde and Parley P. Pratt, was sent to England to correct these abuses and set in order all the affairs of the Church in that land. He left his family in the wilderness with the other exiled Saints, and with his companions took passage in an open flat boat that was passing down the Missouri River about the time they were ready to start. This boat was owned by a party of Presbyterian missionaries who had been laboring among the Pawnee Indians, and were now returning, with their families, to St. Joseph, Missouri.
At St. Joseph the brethren purchased the boat and continued their journey, rowing all day and tying up the boat and sleeping on shore at night. They reached Fort Leavenworth before the departure of the Battalion for the west and from those brethren—just then drawing their bounty of forty dollars each from the government—received some assistance to help them on their journey. The brethren of the Battalion were also desirous of sending some means to their families in the wilderness, and Parley P. Pratt was chosen to carry it to them. While he returned to the encampment of the Saints, Elder Taylor and Orson Hyde continued their journey to England, arriving in Liverpool on the 3rd of October.
Footnotes
[1]. The encampment is thus described by Thomas L. Kane, who visited it shortly after the arrival of Elder Taylor: "They were collected a little distance above the Pottawatamie Agency. The hills of the high prairie crowding in upon the river at this point and overhanging it, appear of an unusual and commanding elevation. They are called the 'Council Bluffs.' * * * To the south of them, a rich alluvial flat of considerable width follows down the Missouri some eight miles, to where it is lost from view by a turn, which forms the site of an Indian town of Point aux Poules. Across the river from this spot the hills recur again, but are skirted at their base by as much low ground as suffices for a landing. This landing, and the large flat or bottom on the east side of the river, were covered with covered carts and wagons; and each one of the Council Bluff hills opposite was crowded with its own great camp, gay with bright white canvas, and alive with the busy stir of swarming occupants. In the clear blue morning air the smoke streamed up from more than a thousand cooking fires. Countless roads and by-paths checkered all manner of geometric figures on the hill-sides. Herd boys were dozing upon the slopes; sheep and horses, cows and oxen were feeding round them, and other herds in the luxuriant meadows of the then swollen river. From a single point I counted four thousand head of cattle in view at one time. As I approached, it seemed to me the children there were to prove still more numerous."—Historical Address.