Remarks December 1769.
[1stly.] That a few days after this unwarrantable Outrage perpetrated against my dwelling House & person, John Chinn & Forrest Oaks were so conscious of their Enormous guilt [and] struck with such a Remorse, that they declared that they would upon their knees publickly on the Parade beg to be pardoned if that would satisfy for the Errors they were conscious of haveing committed. This they expressed in the Audience of William Maxwell, Commissary, Sergt. McMurray, George McBeath, [and] Henry Williams, traders.
2dly. That a certain gentleman heard it surmised among them that if the above Submission would not take place, they might have another Resolve which was to tamper with my Servant & advance him one hundred pounds by way of bribe, as they looked on him as the most Material witness in my intended process against them.
3rdly. Such is the depraved disposition of this profligate Garrison at this Juncture (as well as now degenerateing into the most irregular proceedings dayly) they had recourse to calumnious aspersions contriveing to patch up false invective & ignominous Reports (as under the Necessity of keeping my room, on account of the Severe [bruises] I had sustained from such a rough handleing, that I wore Boots with Creepers in my Room & [was] found lying down in my bed with them); with this additional & abominable connivance that I kept so long close in my Room to embrace one opportunity to drive away Sorrow & get drunk privately. Such are the Diabolical dispositions of many in this remote garrison who make a perpetual habit of murdering time in excesses of Debauchery & most Licentious practices. These false aspersions I had communicated to me by George Main and Charles Morison, trader, the 10th December, 1769.
4thly. Upon the 11th do. Ens. Johnstone assumed to encroach upon my Province by visiting Sergt. McPherson of the Colonel’s Company, who says he never sent for him Directly or indirectly. He immediately insisted upon seeing his wound, tho’ he was but newly dressed one hour before, [and] took off the dressings, &c. After inspection he told my patient for his comfort, it looked very bad, & that he knew nothing better for him than to bathe it with brandy. [He] set off directly, & left the tumefyed wound exposed to the Open air, till my servant was obliged to go & dress him a second time. This among the rest is one specimen of the Ens. Johnstone’s activity to interfere in matters which did not concern him. That at the same time he told Sergt. McPherson if he belonged to the Company, he [would give] commands. He would immediately confine Dr. Morison in the common guard house.
N. B.: That in a few days after this Violent Assault, John Chinn and Forrest Oaks were observed conjointly & severally, loading their guns & pistoles, which I dare say were intended for bad purposes which they would in all appearance have prosecuted had not their proceedings been disapproved of by a certain gentleman in the Garrison.
One night the ensueing spring, when they carroused heartily at their Bowl, John Chinn proposed to pay another Visit to the Doctor, which being disapproved of by one of the principals in the Assault, was dropped.
The 25th. December 1769. Ens. Johnstone with his irregular associates, contrived among them, about day set in the evening, to send a frenchman, who served Isaac Todd merchant, upon a false Message to me two different times in great haste, acquainting me that his master was very sick, & that he earnestly, in the most pressing manner, demanded my immediate assistance. Upon which I Repaired directly to wait upon Mr. Todd, & upon due enquiry, found the Message to be a mere bubble, very like the triffling projectors, Isaac Todd declareing himself well, & took it highly amiss that they should take such libertys with his name, or give me such Unnecessary trouble.
Some time in Summer 1770, Ens. Johnstone Knocked down a soldier of the general’s Company, called Walker by name, in presence of the Commanding officer, Capt. [George] Turnbull. The poor soldier applyed to me, & told me he was afraid his cheek bone was broke, which did not happen to be the case, tho’ it was prodigiously swelled. Which cost me five or six days attendance and applications, before he recovered so as to be fit for Duty.
Sunday evening at 11 O’clock, 2d. December 1770, a frenchman knocked at the door of my house very hard, when I was abed. Imagining it Might be from some sick soldier, [I] called to my servant to open the Door, & there appeared a frenchman with a card in his hand, charged with Mr. Chinn’s Compliments to Doctor Morison, begging the favour of his Company to take a dance with them at Christian Burge’s house. This I rejected with outmost derision & Contempt, as I never did prostitute my judgement so low as to join Company of any Denomination to break the Lord’s day in such a publick [and] infamous manner; & indeed I looked upon the Company so mean that I should be very scrupulous to join them even on a Weekly day. I doubt not but Ens. Johnstone might be at the head of such a Heathenish proposition as there is no irregularitys committed here, wherein he is not either a prompter or a ready Countenancer if not a perpetrator.
Sunday the 9th December 1770. Betwixt the hours of 11 & 12 o’Clock forenoon, when the Garrison was at Church, Sergt. [Thomas] Carlile of the general’s company had the guard that day, & being thirsty stepped over to his own house (which was adjacent & directly opposite to his guard) for a drink of spruce beer. He no sooner opened the Door of his room than Ens. Johnstone (who was there with his wife) saluted him with innumberable knocks & kicks till (almost in his own words to me) he had knocked his head into blubber, then kicked him in the private parts (from which Violence his private parts, particularly one of his testicles, are greatly Swelled, of a hue black as his Hat). [Johnson gave him] many bumps upon his head, [and] his jaw bones, as he himself says, [are] so painful that he can scarce open his mouth, but with great difficulty.
The poor Sergt. immediately returned to his guard & the next day applyed to the commanding officer Capt. Turnbull of this Fort for his Protection in regard to his most grievious situation, from the Attrocious and barbarous usage he had sustained by the violent proceedings of Ens. Johnstone whom he was determined to prosecute to the outmost for the Violence done to his person, in his own house.
N. B.: Ens. Johnstone confined two or three soldiers in the black-hole for being absent from Divine service, where they were in durance while he himself was pounding & kicking the poor Sergt. in this barbarous manner.
Late in the evening Sunday above said, Ens. Johnstone was swaggering away upon the Parade with a naked sword, or Dagger, in his hand, & when it seems he could not meet a Humane [sic] Subject to Use ill, he wrecked his Vengeance on a dog (belonging to one of the Soldiers of the Garrison) by cutting him to the back-bone. The poor brute made such a hideous noise, his wound being beyond Remedy, [that] his master was obliged out of Pity to put him out of pain by shooting him thro’ the head.
Wednesday 12th December 1770. A little before Roll-Call Ens. Johnstone struck my servant, John Forbes, by giveing him several blows, which hurt him prodigiously, for attempting to ridd some Dogs that were a fighting & make[ing] a terrible Noise at the Door of my house. He struck Sergt. McMurray, acting Sergt. Major in the fort, with a severe blow, at the same time knocked down flat [on] the ground Henry Adams of the Collonel’s Company, so that the dogs of this garrison are so Usefull, Sergents & Soldiers must be knocked down for attempting to hinder them from fighting & makeing a noise.
Ens. Johnstone kicked Sergt. McPherson of the Collonel’s Company in presence of the Commanding officer, a little before he went down to Detroit last fall. Wednesday 26th December 1770, upon the evening of that day Ens. Johnstone knocked down Sergt. May upon the Parade, by giveing him two severe blows on the neck & Jawbones, after which he confined him, brought him to a tryal, & sentenced [him] to be reduced to the ranks.
On Saturday 29th, Do., Ens. Johnstone wrangled with my nephew, William Morison, erroneously & threatened to confine him in the common guard-house.
Sunday evening 30th Do., Mrs. [George] McBeath invited me to walk into her house. I was no sooner seated than she entered a grieveous Complaint to me against Ens. Johnstone, affirming that he used uncommon libertys with her Character, upon which she wrote him the evening before a very spirited Letter of which she shewed me a Copy. She actually pronounced him a very bad man. As a strong instance of which, among many she could adduce, she declared he had frequently tampered with her by many stratagems to destroy her peace with her husband, which she looked upon as such a vile insinuation she was determined never to admit of his Company for the future.
Tuesday evening the 1st. Jan’y 1771. John Savage, Taylor & Soldier in the general’s Company, twixt 11 & 12, had the Door of his house forced open [and was] committed to the guard-house for not suffering his wife to comply with obscene proposit[ions made] to her. At this Exploit Ens. Johnstone was one of the chief witnesses. The prisoner was set at liberty next morning without any crime given against him.
Monday the 7th Jan’y 1771. Ens. Johnstone decoyed away Sergt. Carlile’s wife, which he has been contriveing to accomplish many months before this finishing stroake, & tho’ her husband was like to break his Heart, and crying out his Eyes on the occasion, Yet no Remonstrances would be payed the least attention to. Ens. Johnstone quitted his Room in the officer’s barracks that evening which he exchanged with Mr. Main for his. [He] sleeped with her that night in his new room where he lives with her still, without dread or shame, while the poor Husband is left in such a disconsolate situation that is not easy to describe. He next morning (poor man) applyed to the Commanding Officer, who gave him no satisfactory redress, as he did not chuse to interfere either pro or con. Yet the next day after her Elopement from her husband she had the honnour of dining with the commanding officer and his mess, who drank tea with her that evening at her new lodgeings.
Sergt. Carlile had the mortification to see his wife dayly conducted by one of the mess to dine with the commanding officer, Capt. Turnbul, & the good Company with him, at which the poor Sergt. was like to go distracted but could not help himself.
Ens. Johnstone in the month [of December?] 1770, haveing crossed on a party of pleasure in company with Capt. Turnbull & William Maxwell, Commissary, flogged Knight, Soldier in the general’s Company, with his own hand, without any regular tryal for his crime. Proof: William Maxwell, Commissary, Rogers & McLean, soldiers.
As Ens. Johnstone thought proper to turn trader by selling of common rum to the soldiers & all others by whom he might gain a penny in this clandestine Manner, in the month of October 1767, he was observed to have filled up several Barrels of common rum with boiling water to make up the Leakage. Afterwards [he] sold this at 18. sh. York currency pr. gallon to Sergeants & Soldiers &c. in the Garrison. Proof: Sergeants McMurray & Carlile with his own servant Arthur Ross, who assisted him by his own self in the deceitfull operation.
Upon friday the 8th febry. 1771, Ens. Johnstone in presence of the Commanding officer, Capt. Turnbull, Ens. Strickland, George Main, William Maxwell, Commissary, [and] George McBeath, trader, attacked William Morison, my nephew, in a most rude and Violent manner, without any evident cause, in the billiard Room in the presence of six witnesses. The Young man (who is sometimes liable to a fainting Disposition) in the Scuffle he fell down & cryed Murder! William Maxwell, Commissary of provisions, interposed, by which he received some knocks from Ens. Johnstone without returning one blow, after which Johnstone passed by [the] Commissary in a furious manner, & the young man was flat down in a swoon. Ens. Johnstone raised up his left arm & gave him repeated thumps opposite to the heart, by which it would appear he intended to murder the young man.
He is now under care & it is a chance if ever he can get the better of it. The commanding officer with all those of their Club was present to all this. Some of them I am told stood firm with their backs to the room door, I suppose to hinder any from comeing in to the assistance of the ill-used Young man. At length the noise brought in Mr. Harise, who can attest to everything he saw. Mr. Harise with one or two more carryed him for dead to his room, where after untying his stock he gradually recovered from his trance.
In the evening I went with my Nephew to wait on Capt. Turnbull to enter a Complaint of his hard usage. After all the remonstrances he could suggest, the Commanding Officer would give him no Redress, tho’ he himself was personally present to the crime committed by Johnstone. Upon which I myself made application to Capt. Turnbull in the humblest manner to put Ens. Johnstone under arrest & that there was no possibility of maintaining peace in the Garrison while Johnstone was at liberty, nor could I think myself safe in the Execution of my Office if my Remonstrances to him on that score did not take place, which Capt. Turnbull Absolutely refused to do by saying, with some warmth, he would not put Johnstone under arrest, tho’ there [were] as many crimes against him as words on his Commission.
The 23d. feby. 1771. Ens. Johnstone quarrelled with William Maxwell, Commissary, & revilled [him] (if not gave him a few blows) with exasperating expressions, both in company of the commanding officer, who, when words became too high, ordered Ens. Johnstone to his room, wherein he did not continue above twenty four hours, for reasons best known to the Commanding Officer & himself.
“... a woman who I have the greatest regard for distracted me by her imprudent behaviour.”
III
A Regimental Court-Martial
The little domestic tragedy involving Sergeant Thomas Carlile, his wife, and Ensign Robert Johnson, the first two acts of which transpired in the last chapter, now comes to an end with the utter defeat and humiliation of the poor sergeant.
Brought to trial on a charge of being disrespectful to an officer, Carlile sought to get his case tried not by a regimental court-martial, but by a general court-martial which would have a larger number of judges, including officers from other units, who would be more likely to judge his case without prejudice. With Ensign Johnson sitting as a member of the court it is not surprising that Carlile’s request was denied nor that he was found guilty and reduced to the rank of private.
Carlile shortly was restored to his sergeant’s rating but only after agreeing to take back his faithless wife and writing a letter at Johnson’s order in which he abjectly begged forgiveness for daring to suggest that the ensign ought not to sit as a member of the court.
The record of Carlile’s court-martial was stricken from the regimental orderly book, but Morison copied the proceedings as follows:
Michilamackinac, February 16th, 1771.
Proceedings of a Regimental Court Martial, 2d. Battn. 60th Regt. by order of Capt. Turnbull, Commandant.
President—Lieut. Christie
Prisoner, Sergt. Carlile
Ens. Johnstone, member
Confined by order of Ens. Strickland for being insolent & behaveing with Disrespect to him. Ens. Strickland informs the Court that he went a Carrioling [riding in a cariole, a kind of sleigh] with a Woman under his Protection (namely Sergt. Carlile’s wife and Ens. Johnstone’s whore) [and] that the prisoner came up and wished that the Carriole, horse and all, might break in & go under the ice, with other insolent Language.
The Prisoner being put to defence denys the crime & says he will not be tryed by a Regimental Courtmartial, but desires a general one, & objects to Ens. Johnstone, for reasons he now will not mention. The Court is of oppinion the prisoner is guilty of the crime laid to his Charge, therefore do sentence him to be reduced and serve as private in the Ranks.
Signed/ Lieut. Christie, president
Approved, George Turnbull, Commandant.
Febry 1st. 1771. Ens. Johnstone by threats & promises prevailed upon Sergt. Carlile, by frequent tamperings & Solicitations, to take his wife back again. I imagine upon Examination of this accommodation it will appear equally abominable as the original iniquitous & intrigueing proceedings.
The 23d febry 1771. Ensigns Johnstone & Strickland haveing requested of the commanding officer that Thomas Carlile, late Sergt. in generall Armstrong’s Company, should be restored, he is therefore restored to his former rank (after signing, I fancy, uncommon preliminarys dictated to him by the Destroyer of his peace and tranquility). He is to be obeyed as such. One infamous restoration indeed when the terms are narrowly scrutinized.
N. B.: That upon the 26th febry. 1771. Capt. Turnbull, Commandant, Issued verbal orders to Sergt. [Mc]Murray of the General’s Company to Erase the proceedings of the Regimental Court Martial concerning Sergt. Carlile’s tryal out of the Regimental Orderly book, & if he could, would get it Erased out of the orderly book of the Lieut. Colonel’s Company also. Accordingly Sergt. McGann of the Colonel’s Company did erase it, without any previous notice given to the officer who commanded the Company. As that officer was not a little surprized at such uncommon proceedings, he immediately confined him in the guard-house, who in his own defence told his officer he received positive orders from the acting Sergt. Major so to do, who had told him it was the orders of the day by the commanding officer, Capt. Turnbull. Upon which the officer commanding the Coll’s Company sent for the acting Sergt. Major who acknowledged to him he had received orders from the Commanding officer of the Fort to have the tryall of Sergt. Carlile torn out of the Book of both Companies doing duty in Garrison. Upon which Declaration the officer set Sergt. McGann at liberty.
Michilamackinac, 22d. febry 1771
Sir—
I hope You will pardon my takeing this Liberty to trouble You, but to ease my own mind I cannot avoid it, by the instigation of my own Notions. I was so imprudent to object to Ens. Johnstone’s being a member of my Court Martial, altho’ I am now well convinced that his own Honnour would not allow him to do anything prejudicial to Justice. The only Excuse I can make to him & Ens. Strickland is that a Woman who I have the greatest regard for distracted me by her imprudent behaviour. This, Sir, I hope in some part will Extenuate my Crimes, & I shall only further beg leave to Observe that Ens. Johnstone has behaved to me as a good officer, & I have no ground of Complaint against him, & I am extreamely sorry for, & beg his forgiveness & Ens. Strickland’s for my past behaveour, which I never will be guilty of again.
I have the Honnour to be, Sir,
Your most Dutifull & humble Servant,
Signed—Tho’s Carlile, late Sergt.
To Capt. Turnbull
Commanding at Michilamackinac
The above is a coppy of a Letter directed to Capt. Turnbull by order of Ens. Johnstone.
a true Copy
Signed/ Tho’s McMurray
acting Sergt. Major
Ft. Michilimackinac during the 1770’s
IV
A Catalogue of Foul Deeds
Dr. Morison now summarizes the evidence he had collected against Ensign Johnson into a catalogue of his “exploits.” In addition to proving that the ensign was a respecter of no one, regardless of age, rank, sex, or position, the catalogue includes the intriguing report of alleged intimacies between Johnson and Mrs. Robert Rogers. This information may be true since we learn from another source that Major Rogers was said to have been jealous of Johnson. The ironical aspect of this whole matter is that ten years later when Elizabeth Rogers sued for a divorce from the major one of her grounds for the action was that her husband had been unfaithful to her while they were at Michilimackinac.
Ensign Johnson finally met his match in the tough Connecticut trader, Phineas Pond, and resigned his commission in November, 1771, and disappeared from the scene.
Sentencing a soldier to receive a thousand lashes, which Morison also relates in this chapter, was an unusually brutal penalty, although at least one sentence of fifteen-hundred lashes of the “cat” is on record. Ordinarily ten lashes was regarded as sufficient punishment for most offenses and as many as thirty-nine lashes was considered cruel.
“... sentenced to Receive 1000 lashes for Desertion.”
Michilamackinack, 10th Aprile 1771. Ens. Johnstone attempted a rape on a girl betwixt nine & ten Years of age. Her shrieking out Violently alarmed her step-father, Arthur Ross, & others in the barracks. This Arthur Ross was servant to Ens. Johnstone at the time, who upon makeing remonstrances the next morning to Ens. Johnstone of his rude & uncommon behaveour, Received a very severe blow on the left breast from his master, Ens. Johnstone, which made him quit his service instantly.
Ens. Johnstone acknowledged publickly, by way of Bravado, he had carnal dealings with Mrs. Oldham (the mother of this girl upon whom he attempted this Rape) three years agoe, and about twenty Days agoe he vaunted of the same foul deed, declaring publickly it was [no one’s business?]. This declaration happened two or three days before he attempted the Rape upon her Young Daughter.
Tuesday the 23d Aprile 1771. We had a kind of horse race here; the most of the garrison walked out to enjoy the pleasure of the Show. Ens. Johnstone being appointed as one of the Judges upon the Occasion, Ens. Strickland’s mare was saddled for him, that he might be enabled to execute the important office with the more Alacrity. The racers appeared on the ground expecting Ens. Johnstone with outmost impatience. [They] sent several messages in quest of him; his mare was found; but he himself could not, & no wonder for he was then in a Captain’s Cabin marking barrells of Liquor to be Rolled over to the Suttler’s house, which was observed to be conveyed in this manner by Creditable Witnesses. Ens. Johnstone seized this opportunity very seasonably while the racers waited half one hour for his Judicial appearance before they could start.
After secureing his Cargoe in this manner he appeared soon after the racers started. The horse won & the mare lost the race (which is a surprizing Circumstance) according [to] the prevailing constitution of this fort.
Thursday 25th. Aprile 1771. A Barrell of Liquor, at least presumed to be, was Rolled over to the Suttler’s about 12 o’clock forenoon. This Barrell was marked Capt G. T. [George Turnbull] & rolled over by Donaldson [?] of the General’s Company.