Occasionally, Johnson was engaged by militia groups outside the Philadelphia area. One of these was the Buffalo City Guards, and as was his custom with militia patrons, Johnson composed a new march in their honor. On 4 July 1839, Johnson's band accompanied the City Guards on a trip to Detroit, where they played for the presentation of the City Guards and then accompanied a ball in the evening. Following the engagement in Detroit, the band traveled to Cleveland, back to Buffalo, and then on to Toronto. By the end of the month, they were back in Saratoga Springs for their annual summer residency.