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1st Battalion 8th Regiment

New York Guard

First Lieutenant

Lawrence Jung

Commander

HISTORY: The 8th New York was created on 1 May 1784, when a company of militia artillery was organized in New York City by Capt. Jacob Sebring.  After marching in George Washington's inaugural parade on 30 April 1789 the company adopted the name "Washington Grays."  On 22 March 1809 this company became part of Maj. Martin Boerum's battalion of artillery.  This later became part of the 4th Regiment of New York State Artillery, which was redesignated the 3rd Regiment of New York State Artillery in 1812.  During the War of 1812 (1812-1815) the regiment performed fortress duty in and around New York City.  The regiment continued in the militia following the war, performing routine duties during emergencies and riot.  The regiment its present designation on 27 July 1847, when, in consequence of a major reorganization of the state militia, it was redesignated the 8th Regiment of Infantry. 

During the Civil War the 8^th New York was active militia on three occasions, for a total of seven months.

23 April-2 August 1861, fighting at Bull Run (21 July) as part of the 2nd Division

29 May-9 September 1862, on garrison duty in Maryland during the Antietam Campaign

18 June-23 July 1863, helping to defend the line of the Susquehanna River, in Pennsylvania, during the Gettysburg Campaign, for which it holds a battle streamer.

 The  8^th Regiment was federalized during the Spanish-American War (2 May-3 November 1898), but saw no foreign service.

 In consequence of the reorganization of the National Guard after the passage of the Dick Act in 1903, on 23 January 1908 the 8th Infantry was reorganized as the 8th Artillery District, N.Y.N.G., and then, on 10 August 1914, was redesignated the 8th Coast Artillery Command.  When federalized for World War I, the regiment became the 58th Artillery, seeing action as an independent heavy artillery regiment in the A.E.F. during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, while its depot battalion was redesignated the 8th Coast Artillery Corps, N.Y.G.  After the war the two organizations were merged again, the regiment becoming the 193rd Field Artillery Regiment, an element of II Corps Artillery.

 Along with the rest of the National Guard, the 193rd FA was activated in 1940-1941, and subsequently reorganized as two non-divisional artillery battalions.  The 193rd FA Bn served unit in the ETO from December 1944, and the 258th FA Bn from July 1944.  Meanwhile, the 8th Infantry, N.Y.G. was reactivated during World War II.  The present 8^th descends from this New York Guard unit.

 The most notable veteran of the 8^th was Theodore Roosevelt, who served as an officer during the 1880s.

Text by: MAJ Albert A. Nofi, PhD