Wright is said[citation needed] to have been almost continuously employed during the next twenty years of peace and war, but the details of his services cannot be accurately traced.
It was not until the end of the month that Wright could go on to Antigua and join Codrington, who combined the two functions of governor of the Leeward Islands and commander-in-chief of the land forces.
He had sent two ships to Jamaica; two others had sailed for England in charge of convoy; and the remaining vessels with him were deteriorating, leaking badly, and with their lower masts sprung.
The details of the quarrel were never made public, but it may be assumed that it sprang out of the ill-defined relations between the two men, and the probable confusion in the minds of both regarding the governor and the general.
On the other hand, it is possible that Wright, and perhaps even Codrington, realised that the appearance of the French squadron threatened England's absolute command of the sea, which was a primary condition of success.
On the urgent advice of the medical men, he turned the command over to the senior captain, Robert Arthur, and took passage to England.
Most of the officials and military men, taking the side of Codrington, attributed the failure at Guadeloupe to Wright's disaffection or cowardice.
The merchants, whose trade had been severely scourged by the enemy's privateers, were kept together by the governor's orders to support the attacks on the French islands; they attributed their losses to Wright's carelessness, if not treachery, and clamoured for his punishment.
Numerous accusations followed Wright to England, and he was formally charged 'with mismanagement, disaffection to the service, breach of instructions, and other misdemeanors.'
Upon 'duly examining the witnesses upon oath,' after 'mature deliberation upon the whole matter,' and 'in consideration that Mr. Hutcheson, late secretary to the governor, was the chief prosecutor, and in regard of the many differences that did appear to have happened betwixt the governor and Captain Wright,' the presiding officers gave opinion that 'the prosecution was not grounded on any zeal or regard to their majesties' service, but the result of particular resentments,' that it was 'in a great measure a malicious prosecution,’ and they resolved that Wright was 'not guilty of the charge laid against him.'