▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁territorial ▁milit ia ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 . ▁As ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁evol ved ▁into ▁the ▁Territ ory ▁of ▁Missouri ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁count ies ▁were ▁organized , ▁reg iments ▁of ▁the ▁Missouri ▁territorial ▁milit ia ▁were ▁formed ▁in ▁present - day ▁Ark ansas . ▁territorial ▁govern ors ▁strugg led ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁reliable ▁milit ia ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁sp ars ely ▁populated ▁territory . ▁When ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁Territ ory ▁was ▁formed ▁from ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Territ ory , ▁the ▁milit ia ▁was ▁re organ ized , ▁gradually ▁evol ving ▁from ▁a ▁single ▁brig ade ▁composed ▁of ▁nine ▁reg iments ▁to ▁an ▁entire ▁division ▁composed ▁of ▁six ▁brig ades , ▁each ▁containing ▁four ▁to ▁six ▁reg iments . ▁The ▁local ▁milit ia ▁organization , ▁with ▁its ▁regular ▁must ers ▁and ▁hierarchy ▁added ▁structure ▁to ▁the ▁otherwise ▁lo os ely ▁organized ▁territorial ▁society . ▁The ▁Territ orial ▁Milit ia ▁was ▁util ized ▁to ▁qu ell ▁problems ▁with ▁the ▁Indian ▁Nations ▁and ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁read iness ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁trouble ▁along ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Mexico ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁ambigu ous ▁international ▁border ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁pre l ude ▁to ▁the ▁Texas ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁of ▁a ▁territorial ▁milit ia ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁milit ia ▁begins ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁bought ▁a ▁huge ▁tract ▁of ▁land ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁from ▁France . ▁At ▁the ▁time