Our History
When the American Revolution ended in 1783 and peace declared, there were problems left undecided on both land and sea which were bound to be fruitful seeds of another war. British naval vessels continued to lie off the coast to illegally stop and search our vessels and impress our seamen into their service. Garrisons were still retained by the British on the northern frontier.
New York City had been the headquarters of the British forces for seven years during the Revolution. After their departure, many Tories remained and many elected to return. By 1790, a large number of businessmen and owners of property has, in fact, been British sympathizers. Also returned to the City were many patriot veterans of the late war. For the most part men of modest means, they felt they had sacrificed their lives, their fortunes, and pledged their sacred honor in the cause of American Independence. In the words of Dr. George Warren Chapman, commandant of the Veteran Corps of Artillery from 1813 to 1816, and again from 1826 to 1845: "Our former opponents being wealthy and imperious, frequently sought occasion to insult our flag and menace our cities; the policy of our government was forbearing and pacific, but the sensitive feelings of the Old Continentals (whose only patrimony was love of country) became indignant; to protect our city from insult an association of Continental exempts, the remnants of a hundred battles, sieges, and skirmishes, organized themselves into an Artillery Corps." This they did on Evacuation Day, November 25, 1790, in a meeting held at the City Arms Tavern, near the corner of Broadway and Thames Street.
These men would soon become a part of the Jeffersonian Democratic Republic party in New York. The Corps had many members in common with the Tammany Society. Thirty-eight members of the Veteran Corps of Artillery are known to have been early members of Tammany.
The first record of the Corps on public display is on the 10th anniversary of Evacuation Day, November 25, 1793, and on Independence Day, July 4th, 1794, as attested by Captain Chapman in 1838, as the first occasions on which the Corps fired the "National Morning Salutes, which have been faithfully and timely performed for the past forty-five years."
Until 1807, the Corps was content to parade and fire salutes on Independence Day and Evacuation Day wearing their old Continental uniforms. However, in that year, H.M.S. Leopard attacked U.S.S. Chesapeake, removing from her and impressing into the Royal Navy four American seamen. As a consequence, the Corps was re-organized along more formal lines and on November 6, 1809, it was recognized by Governor Daniel D. Tompkins under the Military Law of March 29, 1809 as an Artillery Corps of Exempts, and was equipped with brass 12-pounders. Its officers, John McLean, Captian-Commandant; Richard Nixon, 1st Lieutenant were commissioned by brevet.
"Exempt" meant that as the Corps members were all veterans of the Revolution over 45 years of age they were not liable to compulsory militia duty, yet had chosen to perform military service voluntarily.
Previous to this, the Corps had been recognized by a Federal law of May 8, 1792, stated, "Whereas sundry Corps of Artillery, cavalry, and infantry now exist in several of the States, which, by the laws, customs, or usage's thereof, have not been incorporated with, or subject to, the General Regulations of the Militia:
Be it further enacted that such Corps retain their accustomed privileges, subject, nevertheless, to all other duties required by this Act in like manner with the other Militia." This law has been incorporated by the State of New York on March 9, 1793 in a general revision of the State's militia law. Captain Chapman refers to these enactment's when he states that the Veteran Corps was, "regularly commissioned under the State laws of 1794(sic) and 1809, as an independent veteran corps of heavy artillery; therefore, we are not conscripts of the State of New York, but an independent corps of exempts."
The Federal law of May 8, 1792 is still in effect (see U.S. Code Title 32, section 104, Historical Notes, "Retention of Ancient Privileges and Organization") and forms the basis of the Veteran Corps of Artillery's federal recognition.
Upon the outbreak of the War of 1812, the Corps was the first militia organization in the City to volunteer its service and was assigned, on June 22, 1812, by General Bloomfield of the U.S. Army, to the North Fort on Hubert Street, New York City. This brief duty, performed with several companies of the 9th Regiment of Artillery, was followed by target practice at a hulk off the Battery on August 14, 1812, in which it was noted that the Veteran Corps, commanded by CPT DeLameter, fired several shots from a long nine, which raked the hulk repeatedly." Another target practice in which the Corps participated was held on November 3, 1813 under the supervision of General Dearborn, who stated that "He observed with peculiar pleasure the Corps of Veteran who, at an advanced period in life evince a determination to be first in the defense of their country and its rights."
With the burning of Washington in 1814, New York City was completely mobilized and the Veteran Corps, along with 25,000 other militia, was called into service of the United States as a company of the 3rd Regiment of Artillery September 2, 1814 to December 3, 1814, although a V.C.A. detachment was on duty at the State Arsenal as late as January 11, 1815.
After the war the V.C.A. resumed its firing of salutes and participation in parades and other public festivals. However in 1836, with elements of the 1st Brigade of New York State Horse Artillery under Command of Brigadier General Henry Arcularis, the Corps traveled to the Plains of Hempstead, Long Island, for three days to run a series of tests on the then new 24 pounder Licron brass howitzer.
By 1845, with the disappearance of almost all of the Revolutionary veterans and the death of Commandant George Warren Chapman, the Corps had come to a crossroads. On January 8, 1848, the Veterans Corps of Artillery merged with the Society of the War of 1812, which had been formed by the officers of that war on January 3, 1826 to press for pensions and bounty land legislation. On September 28, 1850, Congress passed a law granting bounty land to the surviving soldiers of the War of 1812 and their widows.
Upon the passage of this law, a portion of the Veterans Corps of Artillery withdrew and on November 19, 1850, formed the Veterans Corps of 1812, 13, and 14. Under Colonel Nicholas Haight, the Veteran Corps of 1812 was recognized as an independent military organization by the State of New York, which loaned its arms in 1851 and 1852. It assumed a regimental formation, later expanded into a brigade, and eventually boasted a strength of about 600 men throughout the State of New York.
The Veteran Corps of Artillery under Captain Richard Raynor, some 81 strong in 1858 became Battery G of the 4th Regiment of Artillery, New York State Militia. The 4th Regiment was called into the service of the United States for the Gettysburg campaign of June-July 1863. Battery "G" Veteran Corps remained in New York and was called out by General Sandford to guard the State Arsenal during the terrible days of the Draft Riots, July 13-16, 1863. Battery G "Veterans Corps" National Guard State of New York was disbanded in January 1874 and their four 24 pounder brass howitzers, obtained by the Corps as their own property in 1838, were turned over to the State. The Veteran Corps of the War of 1812, 13, and 14 then became the sole depository of the VCA lineage and tradition. In 1890, the Corps, then reduced to 22 veterans, was reorganized as an hereditary society of the War of 1812 and in 1895, by act of the Legislature, was reconfirmed in all the rights and privileges of the Veteran Corps of Artillery as an independent military organization. In 1917, the VCA recruited 1400 men to form an antiaircraft unit for the defense of New York City. Three VCA officers were sent to Great Britain and France to study antiaircraft defense; were in October, 1917, Captain Robert H. Wilder, VCA became the first American officer to be gassed on the Western Front during World War I. In addition, the group translated the French anti-aircraft manual. This work became the U.S. Army standard for air defense. In August 1917, the VCA became a part of the First Provincial Regiment formed to guard New York City's water supply. Subsequently, in October 1917, 600 men were detailed to form the 9th Coast Artillery Corps to replace the 9th Regiment, then in active service in France. In 1931 the VCA's annual summer camps became "Contact Camps" of the U.S. Army. As a majority of Corps members attending each summer were U.S. Army reserve officers, it was arranged with the Army to give the VCA camps official status, under the supervision of a U.S. Army officer, to enable the VCA reserve officers to complete their various reserve requirements. This arrangement lasted until World War II. Since World War II the Corps has been comprised mainly of veterans of World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. They have served with distinction in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Some have never served in any armed forces. Regardless of any former rank, all join as Privates and are on an equal par for promotions. The Corps is a familiar sight in the Streets of New York to this day. In 1972, while under the command of Colonel Sherman P. Haight, Jr., the Corps acquired two 75 millimeter pack howitzers of World War II vintage. On July 4, 1974, the Corps resumed its traditional practice of firing a Federal salute at New York City's Battery. This has been exceptionally well received by the public, and it is to be hoped the Veteran Corps of Artillery will continue with this mark of respect to the Nation as long as the Nation and the Veteran Corps of Artillery shall endure. The Corps was confirmed in statutory and prescriptive rights and privileges as a separate corps in organized militia, by Acts of Congress of May 8th 1792, (section 1641, U.S. revised statutes); January 21st, 1903; May 27th, 1908; June 3rd, 1916; May 12th, 1817. Acts of New York State Legislature of April 17th, 1854 (Chapter 898). April 14th, 1855 (Chapter 586), March 9th, 1895 (Chapter 91), April 13th, 1904 (Chapter 828), May 15th, 1907 (Chapter 850), and May 14th, 1913 (Chapter 513).