 Events in Boston were getting out of hand. Rumors circulated of plans to garrison soldiers in Boston, and for once, rumors had understated the case. Almost the entire British garrison stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, around 700 soldiers, arrived in Boston in September 1768, and an additional 1,000 soldiers were on their way from Ireland. As British warships sailed into Boston Harbor, they lined up in a menacing battle formation, with their broadsides facing the town. Bostonians were hostile but restrained. Local officials refused to provide quarters for the troops, so the British rented various buildings scattered throughout Boston. This was asking for trouble. Scuffles between soldiers and civilians became more frequent, and tragedy struck on the evening of March 5th, 1770. A scuffle escalated and ended in the death of five Bostonians.