I hope little from the war policy of the Administration. The facility of arriving at the same conclusions from the most opposite state[ment]s of fact renders it entirely useless to argue or reason with the President on the subject. . . . As to our waging active war, he will not hear of it. I am in very low spirits as to our prospects, and deem Texas in a very critical situation.[101] 

On May 19, 1837, General Huston was back in Houston from New Orleans[102]  in time for the election of major general of the Texas Militia.

Suffering from poor health on account of his wound and being unable to ride on horseback, General Johnston, on May 7 turned over command of the army to Colonel Rogers.[103]  On May 17 Johnston received a furlough to visit New Orleans to seek the assistance of certain eminent surgeons; and about midnight, while Huston was visiting the capital to secure the support of Congress in a campaign against Mexico, Houston dispatched his Secretary of War Fisher with sealed orders dated May 18 to the army to furlough three of the four regiments.[104]  This was accomplished, leaving only about six hundred men under arms. Gradually these were disbanded by additional furloughs, desertions, or expiration of terms of enlistment.[105]  Thereafter for defense against the Indian and Mexican, and for the maintenance of order on

As regards the Military I regret to say that some discontent prevails, not to a greater extent however. . . . than might reasonably be expected, in any Garrison neither paid, clothed, nor half fed. Although every exertion appears to be made by the officers in command to maintain a strict discipline, it must be acknowledged that under present circumstances it hardly can be expected. I would respectfully take the liberty of suggesting to the Government that propriety of withdrawing the Troops to a situation where they will be prevented from committing those little acts of plunder and pillage which are unavoidable in a well regulated Army.