| 114 Kirtland, when I was there. We had more or less to bless, confirm, and baptize, every Sabbath. This same day our school section was sold at auction, and although entirely a prairie, it brought, on a year's credit, from $3.50 to $10.20 per acre, making our first school fund $5,070.00!! Land cannot be had round town now much less than ten dollars per acre.
"Our numbers increase daily, and notwithstanding the season has been cold and backward, no one has lacked a meal, or went hungry. Provisions have risen, but not as high as accounts say they are abroad. Public notice has been given by the mob in Daviess County, north of us, for the Mormons to leave that county by the first of August, and go into Caldwell: our enemies will not slumber till Satan knows the bigness of his lot. Our town gains some; we have about one hundred buildings, eight of which are stores. If the brethren abroad are wise, and will come on with means, and help enter the land, and populate the county, and build the Lord's house, we shall soon have one of the most precious spots on the globe; God grant that it may be so. Of late we receive little news from you, and we think much of that is exaggerated. As ever,
"W. W. PHELPS.
"N. B.-Please say in your Messenger and Advocate, a 'Post office has been established at Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri.'"-Millennial Star, vol. 16, p. 13.
About this time the Caldwell regiment of the State militia was regularly organized, composed mostly of members of the church. Their officers received their commission under the hands of Governor Boggs.
Lyman Wight, in his private journal under date of August 2,1837, states:-
"We held an election to make choice of a colonel to take the command of the regiment in Caldwell County. I received a unanimous vote for that office, which was two hundred and thirty-six votes, whereupon I received a commission from under the hands of Lilburn W. Boggs."
Of this event the History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri, has this:-
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