This day, by his Majesty's Sloop Raven, Captain [John] Stanhope from England, the Admiral received his first Orders (dated the 6th of July) to carry on such operations upon the sea coasts of the four govemmen[ts] in New England as he should judge most proper for suppressing the rebellion now openly avowed and supported in those colonies, and to detain untill his Majts pleasure should be known all ships & vessels belonging to the inhabitants of those colonies, such only excepted as he shd find, upon good evidence & information, to be bona fide the property of persons who had in no shape been concerned in the rebellious proceedings within those colonies & had given proof of their attachment to the constitution by refusing to concur in the unwarrantable measures which had been adopted to subvert [it,] to make such a disposition of the fleet, as that, without crippling the force necessary for the service where he commanded in person, a small squadron might be stationed in New York, in Delaware bay, in Chesapeak bay, and within the bar of Charlestown, giving the commanders instructions to prevent any commerce between the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Virginia Maryland and the Carolinas, and any other places than Great Britain, Ireland or his Majs islands in the West Indies, including Bermudas and the Bahamas; to search every vessel going into and coming out of any of the Ports of those Colonies, and to seize and detain them in every case in which they should make discovery of contraband trade, or conveyance of arms and ammunition or military stores of any kind; to receive on board and accomodate the Governors or other officers compelled by the violences of the people to seek such an azylum, and to afford every protection to his Majesty's subjects who might require it; and further to cause it to be publickly signified in all such Seaport towns as were accessible to the kings ships that if any violences should hereafter be offered therein to officers of the Crown or peaceably disposed subjects, or bodies of men raised & armed or military works erected; or attempts made to seize or destroy public magazines of arms ammunition or other stores, it would be the duty of the commanders of each of the Squadrons after such signification to proceed by the most vigourous methods against the said town as in open rebellion. The Admiral however had anticipated these orders, upwards of four months at his own peril.