That's true, all right. All of the Trans-Mississippi governors protested mightily all through the war about Richmond's "abandonment" of their States. From their perspective, it's hard to see it any other way.
Getting back to Van Dorn, his "out of sight, out of mind" attitude toward the Trans-Mississippi contrasts sharply with Kirby Smith's. For all his faults, at least Kirby Smith took his assignment as commander of the Trans-Mississippi very seriously, and wouldn't let his department get railroaded by Richmond. Van Dorn, seemingly, couldn't have cared less.