Soon after Ens. Johnstone & his abbettor Forrest Oaks had been expelled my house, he, the said Ens. Johnstone, went to Ens. Strickland’s. The abovesaid Isaac Todd happened to be there, who upon Johnston’s appearing, observed blood upon his hands &c. [Isaac Todd] asked him, where he had been. The said Ensign Johnstone replyed Vauntingly, he was giveing some knocks to the Doctor.
About half one hour after seven the evening before, Ens. Johnstone with some other accomplices were discovered scaling up a ladder opposite to which there was a half door, up the loft, at the lower end of my house. My servant John Forbes & another soldier observing a noise, as if the half door was thrown down upon the loft, [started out] but before my servant & the other soldier could get out to make a real discovery, the attempters were scattered about different ways. What their intentions were in regard to this little Enterprise depends upon them to explain but the judicious may readily conclude it a prelude to their malicious perpetrations before daylight next morning.
Before, at, or about six weeks preceeding the 7th November abovesaid, there was a strong report prevailed in [the] Garrison (which I am now persuaded was not without foundation) that the said Ens. Johnstone, being in company with some gentlemen in the fort, had breathed out menaceing and malevolent expressions against me, threatening he would use me ill.
Ens. Johnstone’s reasons for this extravagant Declaration I am yet a stranger to, as it is conscious to myself I never did in word or deed give him any just grounds of provocation. Notwithstanding this surmise, I took no further notice of [it] than studying to evade his Company, excepting behaveing with common civility on general terms, as I knew his Character among the public to be of a turbulent & troublesome, meddling [and] loquacious Disposition.
Upon the whole, I believe, it will not be attended with much Difficulty to investigate sufficient evidences, who will attest to the Veracity of the above, when they are legally called upon to declare their Sentiments, Solemnly without the least partiality or mental reservation in presence of any competent Tribunal, by which it will evidently appear (to the Judicious) with other concurring Circumstances that the forcibly breaking up of my house &c., together with the violent assault upon my person as above specifyed, may be justly attributed to premeditated & malicious intentions. Authentick witnesses to prove the last assertion are Isaac Todd, Benjiman Roberts, late Lieut. in the 46th Regt., Benjiman Frobbisher, merchant, & William Maxwell, Commissary of Provisions in this Fort.
N. B.: When Sergt. McMurray & Arthur Ross came into my house they found Ens. Johnstone holding my servant by the hair of his head & pelting at him with several knocks altennarly [alternately?] for attempting to force him out of the house, which he got accomplished with the assistance of Sergt. MacMurray & Arthur Ross.
N. B.: That in the month of March 1766, he [Johnson] threatened he would break my head. No sooner [did] I put myself in a position of Defence, but he desisted from his insolent menaces. Proof: Lieut. Allan Grant of the 2d. Battn., Lieut. Varingon & Adjutant Biron [John Burrent], both of the 1st. Battn. 60th Regt.
II
Concerning the Most Irregular Proceedings
Daniel Morison was so incensed by the events related in the preceding narrative that he wrote out two versions, which, however, with the exception of an occasional difference in wording are the same. Following these events, from time to time he recorded some of the “irregular proceedings” which transpired at the fort, largely as a result of the actions of the irrepressible Ensign Johnson.