Although John Butler had been using a number of men, including his son Walter, as rangers employed by the Indian Department, in 1777 he received permission to recruit a corps of rangers consisting of eight companies. Two of the companies were to consist of men "speaking the Indian languages and acquainted with their customs and manner of making war." The corps were paid well but were responsible for providing their own clothing and arms. Butler's Rangers fought in many engagements, usually in units of one or two companies and usually accompanied by natives.

In 1778, six companies of Rangers went into winter quarters in new barracks on the west side of the Niagara River. The barracks can be seen today but they are not on the original site; at some later time they were moved further away from the Niagara River to reduce their exposure to fire from Fort Niagara after that fort was returned to the Americans.

Butler's Barracks, Niagara-on-the-Lake

In 1782, several Rangers and their families were given permission to move to the west bank of the Niagara River to reclaim land that had been granted by the Mississaugas to Sir William Johnson. The Rangers chosen were older or had large families and could be spared by Col. Butler. The families were not given the land but were to settle on it as tenants. The idea was that they were to farm the land, and the produce in excess of their needs was to be sold to the commander of Fort Niagara. Among these first settlers were Peter and James Secord and Daniel Servos. By the next year, there were sixteen families on the west bank, and the Secords wanted to build saw and grist mills but were denied permission. Instead, the government assigned Lieutenant David Brass to build three mills, two for the Secords at present-day St David's and another mill further down the Forty Mile Creek for Servos.

When the corps was disbanded in 1784, many of the Rangers decided to join their colleagues on the west bank. The government eventually decided to survey the land and to grant lots to former Rangers. The history of Niagara is dotted with the names of these former Rangers like Dolson and Phelps, who settled at Queenston; Bender, at Niagara Falls; Burch, at Chippawa; Secord, at St David's; and Nelles, at Grimsby.

Today the tradition of Butler's Rangers is carried on by the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. The web site is at http://www.iaw.com/~awoolley/lincweld.html.