Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812 on April 5, 1807, as the 3rd Regiment of Artillery. The four aforementioned companies were reorganized and redesignated on August 25, 1808, as the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Artillery, which was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Artillery on June 13, 1812. This regiment was mustered into federal service twice during the War of 1812: September 15, 1812, through December 15, 1812, and September 2, 1814, through December 2, 1814. During its first period of federal service, the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment was stationed on Ellis Island and Bedloe Island (later renamed Liberty Island); during
Crab Island (Lake Champlain) cleared allowing access for visitors and a wharf was built to accommodate boats. A full-time caretaker was hired to live in a small cottage on the island and in 1909, by act of Congress, the island was officially renamed Macdonough National Military Park. By 1930, the island had been mostly abandoned. The one and only caretaker had left in 1915 and the caretaker's cottage burned in 1929. The island remained mostly devoid of activity until the 1950s, when United States Air Force personnel stationed at nearby Plattsburgh Air Force Base began a project of clearing portions of the island for