to canton or to put troops into quarters

Is that the same as billet?

Haven't heard of "canton" although it makes me think of China which, if I recall correctly, was once broken down into cantons. Then there's Cantonese cookery...

Edit: Just found this -

canton - 1522, from M.Fr. canton, from It. (Lombard dialect) cantone "region," especially in the mountains, augmentive of L. canto "corner," meaning extended to "section of a country." Originally in Eng. a term in heraldry and flag descriptions; applied to the sovereign states of the Swiss republic from 1611.

The noun may have been verbed.

Possibly you'd put up your troops in any old corner.