▁commander ' s ▁question ▁if ▁a ▁British ▁art illery ▁battery ▁on ▁a ▁hill top ▁could ▁be ▁sil enced . ▁The ▁young ▁commander ▁proceeded ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁entire ▁battery , ▁an ▁accomplish ment ▁which ▁won ▁for ▁him ▁a ▁promotion ▁to ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁special ▁gold ▁medal ▁from ▁a ▁grateful ▁Congress . ▁Miller ▁distinguished ▁himself ▁in ▁other ▁batt les ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁including ▁Ni ag ara , ▁Fort ▁Er ie , ▁and ▁Ch ipp ew a . ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁h ind rance ▁to ▁effectively ▁organ izing ▁the ▁milit ia ▁was ▁the ▁scattered ▁population ▁of ▁only ▁ 1 4 , 2 7 3 ; ▁and ▁of ▁this ▁number , ▁the ▁majority ▁were ▁scattered ▁around ▁the ▁state ▁on ▁isolated ▁far ms . ▁The ▁only ▁real ▁town ▁in ▁Ark ansas ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁was ▁Ark ansas ▁Post , ▁a ▁tiny ▁village ▁of ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁forty ▁houses . ▁To ▁make ▁matters ▁worse , ▁there ▁were ▁few ▁roads ▁in ▁Territ orial ▁Ark ansas , ▁thereby ▁making ▁communication ▁with ▁the ▁milit iam en ▁very ▁difficult . ▁Ad j ut ant ▁General ▁A . ▁P . ▁Sp encer ▁noted ▁that ▁some ▁milit ia ▁units ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁dr ill ▁since ▁" the ▁extent ▁of ▁Territ ory ▁they ▁cover ▁is ▁ ▁great ▁to ▁must er ▁them ▁at ▁one ▁point ..." ▁As ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁Governor ▁George ▁Iz ard ▁was ▁compla ining ▁of ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁organ izing ▁the ▁rural ▁Ark ans