Garrison

in the art of war, a body of forces, disposed in a fortre or fortified town, to defend it against the enemy, or to keep the inhabitants in subjection; or even to be subsisted during the winter season: hence garrison and winter-quarters are sometimes used indiscriminately for the same thing; while at others they denote different things. In the latter case a garrison is a place wherein forces are maintained to secure it, and where they keep regular guards, as a frontier town, a citadel, castle, tower . The garrison should always be stronger than the townsmen. Winter-quarters signifies a place where a number of forces are laid up in the winter season, without keeping the regular guard. See Winter-quarters .