Michilamackinac July 9th. 1771. Betwixt the hours of 3 & 4 [in the] afternoon, Capt. Turnbull sent for me to his house upon an affair in which he had not the least concern. No sooner I appeared than he Opened upon me with Volleys of scurrilous Language (in presence of Lieut. Donald McAlpin of the 2d. Battn.) viz: That I was a scandalous fellow, a man of no principles, of a bad heart &c. lastly ordered me go out of his house & commanded me to keep my Distance, which I am determined punctually to observe.

N. B.: All these Epithets (to the conviction of many) are imputations that more peculiarly belong altenarly [alternately?] to himself when his character is canvassed by proper judges. If [such things as] Oppression, Detraction, Melediction, Violence, fornication, adultery, breach of Sabbath, tradeing, selling of common rum, Molasses, Wine, Spirits &c., Supporting a Suttlery in which he himself is principally [interested], which is Diametrically opposed to a Military Character, [be considered], he himself is justly entitled to these Epithets & imputations which cannot be attended with much difficulty to prove. Upon these considerations I left his house, whose dirt I shook off from my feet & left the Dirt where I found it. Monstrum horrendum Ingens!

The 26th. augst. 1771. Sent the weekly return by my servt. as I happened to be sick on that morning. Capt. Turnbull enquired of my servt. what my sickness was. My servt. answered, it was a severe attack of the Rheumatism to which I was subject. The Commandant asked my servt. if he could cure me. My servt. replyed he would if he could. After many frivolous questions of this nature, he at last ask[ed] him what did he think I deserved, to which my servt. Replyed, he did not know, “but Sure I am Sir, my master deserves well at my hands.”

Upon Tuesday the 17th. Sept. 1771. Capt. Turnbull after Roll Call sent the Sergeant Major to acquaint me he wanted to speak to me. Accordingly I appeared. Then Capt. Turnbull in presence of Lieut. Christie, Ens. Graham and Ens. Strickland asked how I came to move to another house without his leave, & I answered that I thought there was no necessity of giveing any trouble to him for removeing to good Quarters, which I hired for the Winter as there was no possibility of liveing for the Winter in that house Which he ordered me to, May last; especially as both of them were the property of traders in this place & tho’ I applyed to him last fall for a Room in the officers’ Barracks, as there was one Vacant then, as he did not grant this I thought I had a Right to provide myself the best I could.

He told me [that] tho’ I have been so long in the army I made a[s] great progress in the knowledge of my duty as I did in that of my profession, meaning in which I appeared to be equally ignorant. (So far according to the Sultan.)

“I suppose,” says he, “You want I should put You into arrest, that You may be exempted from Your duty. But,” continued he, “I will not do You that Honnour. You are not worth my Notice. I hope You will not give me the trouble to provide a Room to provide for You next summer.”

I told him I’d give him as little trouble as possible and that I’d endeavour [to do] the best I could for myself, tho’ at the same time I beged leave to observe that I thought (while I continued to act in the King’s Service) I had a right to a room in the King’s barracks, which benefit was never granted me during his incumbency. He Replyed he did not chuse to hear any more upon the Subject, and ordered me to be gone, which I did quietly, in presence of the abovesaid gentlemen.

N. B.: When upon application last fall to Capt. Turnbull for a Room in the King’s Barracks, which he did not grant, I then applyed to him if he would please speak to influence Mr. Cardin to give me his house for last winter. He gave himself not the least trouble about the matter, in consequence of which I was necessitated to provide for myself. [I] obtained the house from Mr. Cardin, where I lodged Comfortably last winter. As I was obliged to pass the winters preceeding most wretchedly in old houses, not habitable, notwithstanding of my Disbursements on many repeated reparations, such as thatching with Bark, Claying &c, as without these expenses I must starve of cold & every shower of rain [came] in upon me, as also snow drift[ed in] from every quarter when the wind blew high.

Upon Sunday the 1st December 1771. The officer of the day was ordered to place Centrys at different corners of the Garrison upon four or five houses, upon suspicion they smuggled some common rum to entertain them[selves] at such a particular Season, as one of the Sub-Suttlers did not Chuse to sell or had orders [not] to sell under a Dollar each quart.

A soldier and his wife with his Children [were] ordered to their barracks, tho’ there was not a drop [of] liquor found in his house. The officer of the day upon entring the room of Fiddler, one of the Royal Artillery, who was enjoying himself with one of his Comrades in garrison [with some rum] which he had purchassed from the Sub-Suttler. [The bottle of rum] was broke to pieces [by the officer] which put a stop to the entertainment tho’ they were all quite sober.

All this is supposed to proceed from the orders of the grand Suttler [Captain Turnbull], who did not Chuse that any individual should interfere in diminishing the grist which has been a long time now comeing into his Mill & which he wants to keep agoing for his own particular private interest.

December 15th. Mr. Harise, the interpreter, was committed to the common guard-house by Capt. Turnbull where he remained from eight o’Clock in the afternoon till ten next morning, for beating of a trader’s Engagee [an engagÉ, one of the French boatmen who were hired to paddle the traders’ canoes], tho’ many Circumstances of the most Extravagant enormitys have been overlooked in this odious garrison during Capt. Turnbull’s Incumbency.

Ensign Strickland [was] put under arrest by Capt. Turnbull’s order for useing Sergt. Lewis ill upon his Guard, & the said Ensign continued under his arrest untill he made proper Condescensions to the Sergt. & Yet Ensign Johnstone would not be put under arrest by Captain Turnbull (tho’ properly applyed to) for shedding the blood of a gentleman more usefull to the King’s service in garrison, more than both, which can be proven to a Demonstration, time & place Convenient.

N. B.: July 2d. 1772. I have now [served] going on four years here, & during that period of time have neither received wood, nor chairs, table, tongs, Dogirons, pockers, &c. from the Barrack master nor any lodgeing in the King’s Barracks or from the King, notwithstanding my frequent applications, but was obliged to Lodge in old french Houses, not habitable, at a Vast Expense out of my Pay, by Plastering, thatching &c. to preserve myself from the Inclemency of the Winter Season, which is generally very intense here, and which continues upon average about the space of eight months.

Notwithstanding so badly was I used, on account of provideing of aforesaid lodgeings, haveing not beforehand informed Capt. Turnbull of my intention of providing said Lodgeing for hire, he sent a Sergeant for me to [attend] the Publick parade, where to my surprise in presence of the officers of the Garrison & others he gave me very abusive & Scandalous Language, unbecomeing the Expressions of a gentleman, & when offering to speak in my own Defence, I was ordered Silence! & that he desired for the future I should give him no more trouble about Lodgeings. [He] ordered me about my business, that he would not put me under arrested as he knew that was what I wanted, but would not do me that Honnour. I was not worth his notice.

N. B.: Ensign Strickland & Ens. Graham were put under arrest for differences subsisting among them at his house, which Capt. Turnbull approved of till their differences were settled.