Predecessors of the 258th Field Artillery Regiment fought in the
War of 1812, the
Spanish–American War, the
American Civil War,
World War I,
World War II,
Korean War, and the global
war on terrorism. The 258th Field Artillery is one of only nineteen
Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.
Early history The 258th Field Artillery Regiment can trace its origins to the formation of an artillery battery in 1784 under the command of Capt. Jacob Sebring. On April 30, 1789, Capt. Sebring's battery formed part of the escort for General
George Washington's inauguration in New York City. Since that time the battery and its descendants have proudly claimed the title "Washington Grays" due to the gray coats of their uniform during that time. The regiment was formed on October 9, 1809, as the 4th Regiment, New York State Artillery, organized from existing batteries. and throughout the first half of the 19th century was called for service in many civil disturbances including the
Flour Riot,
Abolition Riot, Stone Cutter's Riot (1835), Stevedore Riot (1836), Croton Water Riot,
Great Fire (1845),
Astor Place Riot (1849),
Police Riot (1857),
Dead Rabbit Riot (1857),
Sepoy Riot 1858), and Quarantine Riot (1858).
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 8th returned to New York City, mustering out there on August 2, 1861. Following redesignation as the
8th Regiment, New York National Guard, The 4th Independent Battery Light Artillery was recruited and organized in New York City as Company L, Artillery Company, Serrell's Engineers, and part of the 1st Troop, Washington Greys. It was mustered in the United States service for three years at Staten Island on October 24, 1861, and left the State the next day commanded by. Capt. James E. Smith. Later in October it received its arms,
Parrott guns, and was designated Battery C, and a few weeks later, Battery D, N. Y. Light Artillery. December 7, 1861, it received its numerical designation from the State. It took part in the following engagements:
Siege of Yorktown,
Williamsburg,
Fair Oaks,
Seven Days,
Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg,
Auburn,
Bristoe Station and the
Mine Run campaign. It was discontinued on Dec. 4, 1863, commanded by 1st Lieut. William T. McLean and its members were transferred to the
1st N. Y. engineers, the 5th and 15th N. Y. batteries, and Battery B, ist N. Y. artillery. The 4th lost during service 5 men killed and mortally wounded, and 1 officer and 11 men died of disease and other causes. The Battery distinguished itself at
Battle of Gettysburg, where it materially aided in seizing and retaining
Little Round Top from
John Bell Hood Division. At the time of the assault by Hood’s Division of the
Confederate Army, this battery, supported by the
4th Maine Infantry Regiment, formed the extreme left of the
Third Corps line. Three guns of the two sections in action on this crest were captured by the Confederates. The third section was in position to the right and continued the action until nearly 6 p.m., its loss during this battle being 2 killed, 10 wounded, and 1 missing. 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. On May 13, 1847, a detachment was constituted in the New York State Militia as the 14th Regiment. It was Mustered into Federal service May 23, 1861 in Washington, D.C. and Redesignated 7 December 1861 as the
84th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. During its service the regiment lost by death, killed in action, 5 officers, 83 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 3 officers, 61 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 74 enlisted men; total, 8 officers, 218 enlisted men; aggregate, 226; of whom 17 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy. It was Mustered out of Federal service June 6, 1864 in New York City. It was Reorganized in the New York National Guard as the 14th Infantry Regiment. Mustered into Federal service 13–16 May 1898 at Hempstead as the 14th New York Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service 27 October 1898 in Brooklyn, NY.
Interwar period The former 8th Coast Defense Command was consolidated with the 8th Coast Defense Command, New York Guard, and reorganized in the New York National Guard as the 193rd Field Artillery with headquarters federally recognized 11 May 1921 at Bronx. It was redesignated as the 258th Field Artillery (
155 mm gun) on 28 November 1921 and assigned to
II Corps.
World War II On 3 February 1941 the regiment was inducted into federal service and moved to
Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont; assigned to 71st Field Artillery Brigade,
VI Corps. Moved to
Madison Barracks, NY on 2 June 1941; moved to
Pine Camp, NY on 18 May 1942. On 8 February 1943 the regiment was broken up (triangularized) in accordance with an Army-wide reorganization. It became the 258th Field Artillery Group (former Headquarters & Headquarters Battery), 258th Field Artillery Battalion (former 1st Battalion) and the 991st Field Artillery Battalion (former 2nd Battalion). All were deployed to Europe. The
258th Field Artillery Group departed the
New York port of embarkation on 22 January 1944, arrived in England on 28 January 1944 and moved to Normandy, France on 8 July 1944. Moved into Holland on 16 September 1944 and Germany 19 November 1944. The unit was at Alsfeld, Germany in August 1945. Campaign credit includes the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. Returned to
Boston Port of Embarkation 24 September 1945 and inactivated the next day. The
258th Field Artillery Battalion was a
self-propelled unit equipped with twelve 155 mm
M12 gun motor carriages. It departed the New York port of embarkation on 22 January 1944, arrived in England on 28 January 1944 and moved to France on 2 July 1944. Campaign credit includes the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. In August 1945 the unit was at Lehrbach, Germany. Returned to Boston port of embarkation 18 December 1945 and inactivated the next day. The
991st Field Artillery Battalion departed the New York port of embarkation on 22 January 1944, arrived in England on 28 January 1944 and moved to France on 11 July 1944. It was attached to the
3rd Armored Division or
VII Corps for most of the war, as a self-propelled unit equipped with twelve 155 mm M12 gun motor carriages. Batteries were detached to support divisions in combat as necessary. The 991st FA landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy on July 11, 1944 where it was bombed and strafed by German airplanes within hours of landing. Battery B of the 991st was credited with firing the first shells into German soil and Battery C was given credit for its role in the capture of Aachen. The 991st was also the first American unit to use captured 155 mm enemy shells. The Germans were using captured French
Canon de 155 mm GPF guns (
German designation 15.5 cm K 418(f)), similar to the GPF-derived
155 mm gun M1918 on the
M12 gun motor carriage the 991st was armed with. The 991st also deployed a single pilot
M40 gun motor carriage with the
155 mm "Long Tom" gun. Campaign credit includes the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace (Battle of the Bulge), Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. The unit was in Allstedt, Germany in August 1945. Returned to Boston Port of Embarkation 15 November 1945 and inactivated the next day.
After World War II In 1957 the battalion of the 258th FA at
Kingsbridge Armory had all four batteries equipped with
105 mm towed artillery pieces. In 1959 all the units were switched to
155 mm towed. At some time prior to 1962, the unit again changed to
8-inch howitzer towed. Additionally, in 1962 one battery was upgraded to the
Honest John Rocket. 1st Battalion (155mm towed), 2nd Bn (105mm towed), 3rd Bn (105mm towed), and the 4th Rocket/Howitzer Battalion armed with 8" Howitzer and Honest John Rocket were all located in the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx, NY. They were part of the
42nd Infantry Division Artillery (DIVARTY). The 3rd Battalion was deactivated first; then in 1967 the 2nd Battalion, followed in 1973 by the 4th Battalion. In 2001, During the
September 11 attacks, members of the 258 FA were among the first to arrive at the scene of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and for the next several weeks actively assisted in the security and relief efforts at the site. In 2004, B Battery (temporarily redesignated Company G 89th Military Police Brigade) commanded by CPT Seth Morgulas (now Colonel and commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade) and C Battery commanded by CPT Andrew Espinoza deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II/III. B Battery was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for its service. In 2008, the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery was composed of three batteries and a support company. Battery A was located in
New Windsor, New York. Battery B in
Bronx, New York. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery was in
Jamaica, New York and Company G, 427th BSB in Jamaica, NY. The battalion was equipped with the
M119 105 mm towed howitzer. It was planned that the battalion would re-equip with the
M777 155 mm towed howitzer in 2019, at
Fort Sill, OK. Since 2001 the battalion has sent soldiers to both
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is part of the
27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, part of the
42nd Infantry Division.
Campaign participation credit •
War of 1812: Streamer without inscription •
American Civil War:
First Battle of Bull Run,
Second Battle of Bull Run,
Battle of Antietam,
Battle of Fredericksburg,
Battle of Chancellorsville,
Battle of Gettysburg,
Battle of the Wilderness,
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia 1861, Virginia 1862, Virginia 1863 •
World War I:
Second Battle of the Somme, Ypres-Lys,
Meuse-Argonne, Flanders 1918, Lorraine 1918 •
World War II: Central Pacific, Bismarck Archipelago, Eastern Mandates,
Battle of Leyte,
Battle of Luzon, Western Pacific, Southern Philippines (with arrowhead), Ryukyus,
Tunisia Campaign,Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno,
Normandy (with arrowhead), Northern France, Rhineland,Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe •
Korean War:
First UN Counter Offensive,
CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea, Summer-Fall 1952, Third Korean Winter, Korea, Summer 1953 •
War on terrorism:
Operation Enduring Freedom,
Operation Iraqi Freedom Headquarters Battery (Jamaica), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to: •
World War I: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Champagne 1918 •
World War II: North Apennines, Po Valley ==Unit decorations==