The 258th Field Artillery Regiment or "Washington Greys" is a field artillery unit of the New York Army National Guard that traces its lineage from 1809 to present. Circa 1957–1966 it consisted of four battalions.
History
Predecessors of the 258th Field Artillery Regiment fought in the War of 1812, the Spanish–American War, the American Civil War, and World War I and World War II. The 258th Field Artillery is one of only nineteen Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.
Early history
The regiment was formed on October 9, 1809 as the 4th Regiment, New York State Artillery, organized from existing companies. Their name, "Washington Greys", comes from the fact that this unit acted as escort to General George Washington at his first inauguration as president in New York City. It was redesignated on June 13, 1812 as the 3rd Regiment, New York State Artillery.The unit was brought into federal service for the War of 1812 in 1812, and again in 1814. In 1847, it was redesignated as the 8th Regiment, New York State Militia (NYSM).
American Civil War
The unit served three periods of federal service in the American Civil War. As the 8th NYSM, the unit was organized in April, 1861 for 90 days' service, leaving New York state for Washington, D.C., on the 20th and mustering in to federal service on the 26th. It served in the defenses of Washington, DC until July. The unit was part of Porter's 1st Brigade, Hunter's 2nd Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. The 8th returned to New York City, mustering out there on August 2, 1861. Following redesignation as the 8th Regiment, New York National Guard, the unit was mustered in again on May 29, 1862, for 90 days' service. It served in the defenses of Washington, D.C., as part of the garrison of that city, and was mustered out of service on September 9, 1862. It was called up for a third time in June, 1863, for 30 days' service in response to Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania in June of that year. It served in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the garrison of that city and 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the Susquehanna, and was mustered out of service on July 23, 1863.
The 8th also had an artillery battery known as "Varian's 1st Troop Washington Grays". This battery mustered into federal service on April 19, 1861 and left New York for Annapolis, Maryland. On May 18 moved near a lighthouse at Smith's Point on Chesapeake Bay. Outpost duty in Northern Virginia through June 17. Attached to Keyes' Brigade, Tyler's Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia, to July. Mustered out July 20, 1861, the day before the First Battle of Bull Run. The unit's guns served in the battle with Blenkers' Brigade, Miles' Division as "Brookwood's New York Battery" under Captain Charles Brookwood, manned by detachments from the 8th Militia and 29th New York Volunteer Infantry. The battery was federalized again with the remainder of the regiment in June–July, 1863 as above.
In August 1861 the detachments of the 8th NYSM and 29th NY Vols. that had served the 1st Troop's guns were reorganized as the 2nd New York Independent Battery, Light Artillery (Blenker's Battery). The unit served in Washington, D.C., until April 1862, operating in the Shenandoah Valley to August 1862, fighting in the Battle of Cross Keys and Second Battle of Bull Run. In early May 1863 the unit was in the Battle of Chancellorsville. After transferring three-year men to Battery I, 1st New York Light Artillery, the unit mustered out on June 13, 1863.
Spanish–American War through 1913
The 8th briefly returned to federal service in 1898 during the Spanish–American War as the 8th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, mustering in by May 19th and mustering out on November 3rd. It did not deploy outside the United States. In 1906 the 8th Infantry Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 8th Infantry Battalion. It was reorganized and redesignated 21 January 1908 as the 8th Infantry Regiment. It was then converted and redesignated 23 January 1908 as the 8th Artillery District, Coast Artillery Corps.