▁and ▁exp enses , ▁$ 2 3 1 ; ▁pay ▁for ▁one ▁major ▁for ▁four ▁days , ▁$ 1 2 ; ▁pay ▁for ▁five ▁company ▁officers ▁for ▁three ▁days , ▁$ 3 0 , ▁pay ▁for ▁ 5 6 ▁priv ates ▁for ▁three ▁days , ▁$ 1 6 8 , ▁r ations ▁for ▁all ▁men ▁were ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁$ 2 4 . ▁ ▁While ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁real ▁batt les ▁between ▁the ▁Indians ▁and ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁Territ orial ▁milit ia , ▁the ▁milit ia ▁did ▁send ▁units ▁on ▁several ▁different ▁occasions ▁to ▁perform ▁pat rol ▁duty ▁along ▁the ▁state ' s ▁western ▁border . ▁ ▁Social ▁status ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁roles ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁milit ia ▁during ▁the ▁territorial ▁period ▁was ▁social . ▁The ▁prominent ▁military ▁historian , ▁Russell ▁F . ▁We ig ley ▁has ▁gone ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁write ▁that ▁"... the ▁volunte er ▁[ mil it ia ] ▁companies ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁as ▁much ▁a ▁social ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁phenomen on ." ▁Res idents ▁of ▁Territ orial ▁Ark ansas ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁in ▁virtual ▁isol ation . ▁Far ms ▁were ▁scattered ▁over ▁a ▁huge ▁exp anse ; ▁roads ▁were ▁few ▁and ▁far ▁between , ▁and ▁towns ▁were ▁small ▁in ▁both ▁number ▁and ▁size . ▁In ▁ess ence , ▁people ▁were ▁lon ely ▁and ▁milit ia ▁service ▁gave ▁them ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ordinary . ▁Early ▁Ark ans ans , ▁especially ▁the ▁el ite , ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁great ▁affection ▁for ▁military