December 26, 1819

New Hampshire native James Miller, who was appointed first governor of the Arkansas Territory and superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Arkansas Territory, arrived at Arkansas Post more than nine months after his appointment. Miller took a circuitous route through Washington DC into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he acquired armaments for the territorial militia, and then came down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, with the armaments in tow, in a vessel whose flags read “Arkansaw” and “I will try.” Miller evidently did not plan to stay long in Arkansas, since his wife remained in New Hampshire. One of the main issues Miller faced was the question of finding a more suitable location for the capital city, and Little Rock was selected by the legislature.