92 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



disposed to settle. A census accompanying this report showed that 

 the corps comprised 469 men, 111 women, and 257 children. Already, 

 many of the officers were selecting lands. Towards the close of 

 September the families attached to the corps were increased by the 

 arrival of two of the wives of its officers and a number of children from 

 Schenectady, where they had been detained. Colonel Allan Maclean, 

 who had now succeeded to the command of the garrison, asked for 

 lots in the little settlement for six of his men, remarking incidentally 

 that of the 70 lots which Lieutenant Colonel Butler had marked out, 

 30 had already been set aside for various persons. By April 18, 1784, 

 the number of families in the colony had increased to 46, all but two 

 of which had built houses for themselves. Of the 731 acres that had 

 been cleared, 123 were sown with winter wheat and 342 more were 

 plowed for spring crops. Of livestock the colony now had 124 horses, 

 160 cattle, and 332 swine. ^ 



Early in 1784 Colonel Maclean obtained leave of absence, and 

 was succeeded by Colonel Arent Schuyler DePeyster, formerly cofn- 

 mandant at Detroit, who received instructions (March 29) to reduce 

 the 8th and 34th Regiments to a peace footing and disband the pro- 

 vincials under his command. In these instructions Haldimand 

 expressed his intention of settling as many of Butler's Rangers on the 

 land opposite to Fort Niagara as possible and the rest at the head of 

 Lake Ontario toward the Grand River upon a new purchase. De 

 Peyster was also directed to take the names of all officers and men of the 

 corps who might wish to settle in the districts indicated, in order to 

 prevent retractions, or claims, in the future. Lots were to be granted 

 only to such as would cultivate them. LTntil farms were assigned, the 

 Rangers were to be permitted to occupy their barracks; but they were 

 expected to winter on their respective possessions, and were to receive 

 provisions in specific proportions from the date of their disbandment 

 imtil further orders. Such of the men as might decline to locate at 

 Niagara were to be sent down the St. Lawrence, except those who might 

 choose Cataraqui as their place of settlemtnt. Major Ross was 

 instructed to receive those stopping at the point just named. Later 

 (May 20), Haldimand wrote that inasmuch as there would not be 

 enough land opposite the fort for the accommodation of all the Ran- 

 gers, especially as he would have to reserve the eastern part for the 

 Crown, he had decided to call those unprovided for down to Cataraqui. ^ 



1 Niagara Hist. Soc, No. 17, 13, 15; Cruikshank, Butler's Rangers, 113; Haldi- 

 mand Papers, B. 105, pp. 353-379. 



2 Haldimand Papers, B. 63, 163-165; Can. Archives, 1886, 417, 463. 



