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May 23d. 1811.
My Dear Sir
The Defence began this day - the Judge Advocate read it for Coll. Johnston, and is in my opinion an outrage to truth, and great calumny on every one but there [their] own Party. How far the Court will judge of it is yet unknown for they very honorably heard it with great attention & they will no doubt give it due weight either one way or the other according to evidence in support of it. It complains of His being in England more than 18 Months without Trial, of my remaining in the Colony & might have given my Charge before, that he was orderd to command his Regiment in November, & did not expect to be arraigned, of his having lost many witnesses, that he had never bartered Spirits altho Governor Macquarrie [Macquarie] had established the practice. That the lower Classes were fearful of Violences from what had been done by the Governor, & that he was a bad Character accustomed to Mutinies and Tyranny while McArthur [MacArthur] was represented as a Gentleman possessing every Virtue. The Address ended with every abuse of Govr. Bligh's Party.
Mr. Atkins was the first Witness called, who acknowledged he had seen my Dispatches to the Secretary of State sent to him before the rebellion and altho he