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Fort George Minorca {1} 16th 7ber 1799

my dear Sir

I have differred† some time to write to you being in a very melancholic disposition & I did not wish to trouble you by the recital of the occasion of it but as it may possibly have consequence of an unpleasant Nature which perhaps w[oul]d injure me in your Mind I thinck it best to acquaint you with it.

about 10 days ago being on Guard with one of our Capt[ai]ns {2} at about 8 o’clock P.N.† our Col[one]l {3} who was coming from Mahon found fault with one of my sentry’s & a firelock that was outside of the Guard Room & being a little heated with liquor I must suppose taxed me of Neglect; the Capt[ai]n of the Guard provoked at that came up to him & told him that he & not me was Com[man]ding that post & was answerable for every thing in it they begun a very warm Conversation in the Course of which the Col[one]l kept brandishing his stick as if threatening to strike him & after that he ordered him to be relieved & to be under arrest, a General Court Martial has been the Consequence of it & I have been heard as an Evidence I have been interrogated & Cross examined for three hours & a quarter & as you may suppose spoke the whole truth & nothing but the truth, the 2 G[uar]d Off[ic]ers one of whom was president & the whole court had the goodness to pay me a great many Compliments upon the clearness, precision & impartiality of my Evidence but the Col[one]l disappointed in his revenge & disappointed only by my Evidence that happens to be the only compleat & important is I am told incensed (how unjustly you may judge) against me though till now I have had it acknowledged by my superiors that they never saw me neglecting any part of my Duty I am a man & may once fail & then I must fear the worse, at least my peace of Mind is gone, accustomed to enjoy the Esteem & good will of my superiors as well as of my brother off[ic]ers I cannot bear the Idea that in Case I sh[oul]d accidentally fail in some point of my Duty instead of a friendly admonition I must expect to feel the whole weight of authority armed by hatred & perhaps for a trifle be brought before a Court martial to the injury of my Character. at any rate you may be sure that I shall redouble my accostumed† vigilance & that I have great Hope of disappointing his hostile intentions & I rely upon providence for not putting me to any of those hard trials where human prudence is vain I have another consolation which is to see my Conduct universally approved (for the first occasion of the Dispute has been found by the judges vain & frivolous.—23d sept[em]ber. not having yet found any Opportunity of sending my letter I will continue the journal of our uncomfortable Life, the storm that I expected has now begun to break out; under a frivolous pretence our Col[one]l has publicly exposed in public Orders 11 off[ic]ers of the Reg[imen]t & taxing them of Mutiny (N.B. I am not one in the number) {4} invites them to quit the Service, our Duty is made as hard & uncomfortable as possible, we can scarcely dispose of an afternoon in the Course of the Week, Our Servants cannot go out of the fort without a pass on purpose &c. &c &c. that Conduct has so much incensed the Reg[imen]t that the Colonel & the Major have been put into Coventry, (that is to say that no officer is to speak to them or even answer any question but upon matters of service)†, under pain of being himself put into Coventry). you can now easily imagine what a Hell I am in; but Our Position is so violent that it cannot last long & by doing my Duty with exactitude I can hope to see better Days, as this is the Moment of the Crisis I will not close this letter before it is over. 26 Sept[em]ber. contrary to every Body’s Expectation the Court Martial has found Capt[ai]n forty Guilty & condemned him to be publicly reprimanded under the Colours of the Reg[imen]t & to be suspended of rank & pay for 6 Months the Court besides has publicly reprimanded one Capt[ai]n & one L[ieutenan]t of the Reg[imen]t for seeming want of Candour in the ones & inconsistency in the other’s Evidence all that has put the Body of off[ic]ers in a still greater Rage than before in Consequence of it the Reg[imen]t has been represented to the Commander in Chief (sir james Erskine) as being in actual insurrection, & we now expect some severe Lecture thank God having left the Mess ever since the 7th instant I have not been present to any thing & for those 3 days past I have been blessed with a violent toothake† and a fluxion which will I hope keep me confined in my tent for a Week more. I write by this same Opportunity to Col[one]l Couper to remember to him his promising to get me a Company in some new raised Reg[imen]t & I hope in these present Circumstances it will not be difficult to get it. General Steward who has a new raised German Reg[imen]t here said the Day before Yesterday that if he had known me only a Month sooner he wd have given me a company in his Regt (he was president of the Court Martial). & so if he obtains leave to raise a second Battallion† what is not unlikely I may perhaps be promoted. I never wished so much for peace or promotion in the first Case to take my half pay, & at any rate to get out of this Reg[imen]t.

1st August.

I am very happy to be able to inform you my dear Sir, that a kind of peace has taken place in the Reg[imen]t. the Coventry is taken off but the brotherly affection will not I am afraid be so easily restored. I am going next Week on Detachment at Alcoufa for a fortnight & I hope to augment considerably there my collection of sea plants but I don’t know how to send them & even if I find an opportunity I am very much afraid that the most beautiful will be broke to pieces before reaching England; I am very much afraid that you dont receive my Letters more exactly than I receive yours this is my 5th & I am convinced you [ha]ve {5} written to me some, though I have received none of your Letters yet. if you cou[ld …] {5} any Body at portsmouth to enquire when men of War sail for here it w[oul]d be Very safe & it happens almost every month, or else write by way of Lisbon through falmouth. we are all here very much vexed to be confined in this accursed Island instead of being employed in Holland & I am more vexed than any one to be so far out of the Way now that Col[one]l Couper’s friendship could so easily have got promotion for me in the German Corps that I understand are beginning to be raised. but patience! the rainy Season is beginning now but I brave it under my Marquise, if you have a plan of Minorca I am situated upon the ruins of the N.W. ravelin of the Queen’s Kane {6} facing to philipe, & commanding the Entrance of the fort. I hope my Letter will go to Morrow may it reach you safe & so many yours me I never felt so much the want of them. farewell my dear Sir & believe me for ever wholly yours.

A. Maimburg

this is to go by way of Leghorn by a regular pacquet twice a Month write to me the same Way.

[Direction:] Dawson Turner Esqr | Yarmouth | Norfolk. | England

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Postmarked with a stamp dated 4 December 1799 and a Foreign Office stamp with the same date. There are a couple of postman’s marks, one of which is probably ‘1/7’. The first part of the letter was written on 17, 23, and 26 Sept. The second part, which is dated 1 Aug., was probably written on 1 Oct. Letters missing from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} In 1798 a British force captured Minorca from the Spaniards, and on 6 May 1799 the 8th Regiment of Foot, with whom Maimburg was serving, set out for that island, where they were stationed for the next twelve months. See R. Cannon, Historical Record of the Eighth or King’s Regiment of Foot (1844), p. 74.

{2} Thomas Fortye.

{3} Gordon (later Sir Gordon) Drummond.

{4} ‘N.B. … number’ interlined; no caret. The brackets have been supplied.

{5} The seal conceals a few letters here.

{6} Reading uncertain.

† Sic.

Transcript

Aleyor {1} 10th April 1800.

My dear Sir

I have, to my great Satisfaction, received 2 of your Letters dated 8th jan[uar]y & 9th feb[ruar]y which with one of the [blank] that I received about a Month ago make up the whole; but as you say we must lay all the Blame upon the Elements & the Carelessness of post Offices & consequently I will write away as regularly as I can & trust Providence for their reaching you.

I conceive by your Letter that you have not received the large parcel of Sea Weeds that I had sent & entrusted to an Off[ic]er of the 28th Reg[imen]t that was going to England & who promised to forward it; at any Rate I have some more collected which I Will send by the first Opportunity & write you by Duplicata† the Name of the person & that of the Ship. & Sh[oul]d any of my Acquaintances go to England I shall entrust them with the Collection of Sea Trees that I have in Readiness but they are most of them of so fragil† a Nature that I am very much afraid you Shall receive only Dust.

Now, I will, as it appears to me that you have not received any Letter posterior to that in which I mentioned the unpleasant Difference existing in the Reg[imen]t, relate again what has passed since & that you will find of a much more pleasant Nature than I at first expected & that your Friendship made you apprehended {2} for me.– – –Shortly after the Sentence which suspended Cap[tai]n Fortye from Rank & pay for 6 Months was known & he had besides been reprimanded by Gen[er]al Stuard under the Colours of the Reg[imen]t, the Col[one]l & Major were put at Coventry by the Majority; the Gen[er]al looked at it as at an Act of Rebellion & one day at Dinner one of our Captains, Brother in Law to Brigadier Gen[er]al Oakes received a Note from him “come Immediatly† to me or you are undone”; he showed it to another Cap[tai]n who was the leading Man of the party against the Colonel who took the Hint & with another went to the Commander in Chief & explained & apologised for their Conduct, it was then settled & made known to every off[ic]er by those Gentlemen, that the Coventry was at an End & Harmony perfectly reestablished betwixt Col[one]l Drummond & us, they Shook Hands with him &c. but fear alone had compelled them to that & their resentment still existing they continued to seize every opportunity of vexing the Col[one]l as going all away after Dinner if he stayed & remaining all in the Mess Room if he went &c. shortly after thinking themselves the strongest they found fault & upbraided any off[ic]er that w[oul]d not do as they did & we were all in a state of Warfare against each other; then I thought it was Time for me to explain my Sentiments upon the Subject; I loudly declared that they all knew I had never shown that I had adhered to the Coventry when they had decreed it though it was against my Opinion, but that having them-selves (I spoke to the Ringleaders,) declared to me & to us at large, that all animosity was to be laid aside by it & that I was allways† ready to stand by the Body of the Off[ic]ers I w[oul]d not be influenced in any part of my Conduct by any Individual; an Intimate Friend of mine (L[ieutenan]t Evans of Birmingham) took warmly my Part & professed the same principles, so did a few others, the Majority was against us but from the (I know I speak to a friend who will excuse it) Superiority of a Good Cause & that of our personal Characters from that Moment we held it out in a firm & Manly Manner; you well may think how much Col[one]l D[rummon]d was pleased at our Conduct & from that Moment I have (& evans) {3} been his declared favorite†; the opposite party tempted a bold Stroke, in a drunking† Match One of them spoke inso-lently to Evans who rebuked him properly, next Morning they went out & the opposition Gentleman Apologised in the most submissive Manner, ever since our Victory has been Compleat & ever since I have the Satisfaction to see the Epaulet bearing Mob returned to a Sense of Duty & every thing going on as smooth as possible.—now to come to myself; Col[one]l Drummond applied shortly after for me for a Company in the 2 Comp[an]ies of Corsican Rangers that were forming here, the Gen[er]al answered that they were both disposed of but that he w[oul]d think of me in Case any more sh[oul]d be raised; on the 6th March at morning parade Col[one]l D[rummon]d asked me if I w[oul]d take the Adjutancy of the Corsicans, that those 2 Comp[an]ies were to be rassembled at Aleyor under the Command of Major Bisset (42d Reg[imen]t) & wanted an Adj[uta]nt, I positively declined it saying (these were my very words) “No, Sir, I never will resolve myself to be a Slave to my Commanding Off[ic]er & a Spy to my Comrades” {4} but after parade our Major who professes to be my friend & Capt[ai]n MacMurdo who is really it, expostulated with me on the subject, Col[one]l D[rummon]d joined them & told me that it was the Sure Road to a Company, that I was the only Off[ic]er fit for it here & that B[rigadie]r G[ener]al Oakes w[oul]d never pardon me if I declined his offer, at last they prevailed upon me to say Yess† & next Day Gen[er]al Fox sent for me, asked me a few Questions & told me I Sh[oul]d be put in Orders for it the same Day; I thought it was my Duty to tell them all beforehand that I had not the least Idea about the very complicated Duty of an Adj[uta]nt but he & Oakes said I w[oul]d learn it in Time, that knowing the Language & the Men’s Disposition was the Material point & so I went & have been here ever since the 11th March; they have given me 3 sh[illings] a day extra pay for which Sum I must do the different Duties of Adj[utan]t, Q[uarte]r Master, Paymaster, Drill Serg[ean]t Clark & Interpreter I never had so much on my Hands before but I am getting into it more & more every […] {5} if the forced Extension of my Voice in giving the Words of Command & Ex[…] 4 Times a Day had not hurted my Lungs & given me now & then some […] painfull Spasms I w[oul]d say it is all for the better; every Body says that I will get a Company very soon, God knows! at any Rate I lead a very active Life & I like it, I learn my Duty & that cannot be but useful & I make myself known to the great Folks, & that is the only Road to preferrment† for a Man without Money or Interest;—now I must answer to your kind Recommendations upon the Subject of losing the half pay by my passing into a Reg[imen]t that is not upon the Establishment, the Fact is that it is a Standing Rule that coming from the Establishment I cannot lose half pay but by the Sentence of a Court Martial & the Corsicans in Particular, have an Act of Parliament that grants them every privilege of a true born Englishman; I thank you again, my dear sir for your anxiety On that score but rest perfectly assured that sh[oul]d I be promoted in that Corps Capt[ai]ns half pay is as sure to me there at peace as if I was in the Guards.—although I now live far from the Shore be assured, my dear Sir, that I shall not neglect collecting & forwarding Sea weeds so that sh[oul]d you get only the 10th part of what I collect you will have enough. the Swiftsure has been here lately & I shall enquire for your Acquaintance on board of her if ever she comes back as well as for Mr Robert Cappe though by the bye there is no place here of the Name that you mention (Charles Town). to give you now a faithfull picure of the place I am in, imagine the nastiest dirtiest village that you ever saw in the most wretched part of Wales & it is a thousand times better than this; no Meat to be had except the salted Rations & fish the only thing that can be got extra, costs 3 sh[illings] a pound & is not to be had every Day; God allmighty† bless you my dear Sir you & your friends, I beg you will make the expression of my Gratitude for their kind Remembrance acceptable to them & my best respects to Mrs {4} Turner in particular. Wholly yours for ever.

Maimburg.

[Direction:] Dawson Turner Esqr | Yarmouth | Norfolk.

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Postmarked with a stamp dated 3 June 1800 and a Foreign Office stamp the date of which is illegible. There are a couple of postman’s marks, one perhaps ‘11’ struck through, the other ‘1/7’. Letters missing from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets. Maimburg’s quotation marks resemble wavy equals signs.

{1} This place is now known as Alaior.

{2} Substituted for ‘fear’. Maimburg should have written ‘apprehend’.

{3} ‘& evans’ interlined; no caret. Brackets supplied.

{4} This word is indistinct.

{5} Some letters in this sentence were torn away here with the seal.

† Sic.