Major Johnstone came from a long-established military family in Dumfriesshire and entered army life at a very young age. Showing early courage and ambition, he served with distinction in Holland, Egypt, the West Indies, and later at Waterloo, repeatedly exposing himself to danger and sustaining several serious wounds, including one to his foot that caused lifelong suffering. Despite these injuries, he continued to serve with notable gallantry, earning praise from senior officers, including the Duke of Kent. Promoted to Major in 1814, declining health eventually forced his retirement, after which he lived quietly in Edinburgh, devoting his later years to religious reflection until his death in 1832 at the age of fifty-two.
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