s ▁of ▁persons ▁who ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁o ath . ▁ ▁These ▁loyal ▁territorial ▁citizens ▁claimed ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Governor ▁Pope ▁immediately ▁forward ed ▁General ▁Hill ' s ▁communication ▁to ▁the ▁President . ▁President ▁Andrew ▁Jackson ▁formally ▁protest ed ▁Mexican ▁actions ▁in ▁the ▁disput ed ▁area ▁and ▁was ▁successful ▁in ▁getting ▁Mexican ▁Government ▁authorities ▁to ▁stop ▁actions ▁in ▁the ▁disput ed ▁area ▁until ▁the ▁boundary ▁could ▁be ▁settled . ▁ ▁The ▁border ▁area ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁of ▁quite ▁until ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁Texas ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁ ▁A ▁Milit ia ▁M uster ▁A ▁must er ▁of ▁the ▁milit ia ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁or ▁ 3 0 s ▁was ▁often ▁an ▁impress ive ▁occasion . ▁In ▁more ▁popul ous ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁states ▁the ▁local ▁milit ia ▁company ▁sometimes ▁d ril led ▁as ▁often ▁as ▁once ▁a ▁month . ▁But ▁where ▁travel ▁was ▁difficult , ▁as ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁early ▁Ark ansas , ▁must ers ▁usually ▁took ▁place ▁once ▁or ▁twice ▁a ▁year . ▁The ▁legisl ature ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁specified ▁that ▁batt alion ▁dr ills ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁ann ually ▁in ▁October , ▁and ▁company ▁dr ills ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁at ▁least ▁twice ▁a ▁year , ▁the ▁first ▁Saturday ▁in ▁April ▁and ▁October . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁years ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁July ▁ 4 ▁evol ved ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁must ering ▁time ▁in ▁Ark ansas . ▁That ▁was ▁a ▁convenient ▁date ▁to ▁dr ill