Rear Admiral Shuldham this day arrived in the Chatham of 50 Guns with a War Complement of 350 Men, being the first Ship that had come to Boston with that Establishment; and brought the Vice Admiral common official Orders to deliver the Command of the Fleet to him and to shift his own Flag either to the Boyne, Asia or Somerset, and proceed with those Ships to England as soon as possible.*

Note* In this way (as if a matter of course) by a junior Officer, who had not a Flag when the Vice Admiral was appointed to the American Command, came his first and only notice or intimation, either from the Admiralty or any part of Government, of having given dissatisfaction. Nothing could be more unexpected or extraordinary than this Recall: for it bore date the 29th of September, and he had Letters from the Board of the entire Approbation of his Conduct down to the 6th of the same Month. Nevertheless he betrayed no Emotion or Resentment either at the thing itself or the manner of it, concealed all Indignation, and was manly enough to avoid even taking the least notice of the hardness of his Usa:ge in any Dispatch. He felt however what every Officer of Spirit must feel in the like circumstances, and was totally at a Loss to account for such Treatment, having flatter'd himself with the Merit of unusual Activity & Circumspection, and being conscious of having anticipated and exceeded every Order that came to him. ²