During the American Revolutionary War, the New York Provincial Company of Artillery was created by the New York Provincial Congress in 1776 to defend New York City from British attack. The New York Provincial Company of Artillery is considered the ancestor of the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, making it the oldest active unit in the U.S. Regular Army and the only one with credit for the Revolutionary War. In November 1783, the Continental Army was reduced to one regiment. In June 1784, Congress decided to have only one artillery company on active duty. The company commanded by Captain John Doughty, which was the direct descendant of New York Provincial Company, was the one selected. The company served in the War of 1812 in Louisiana, where in January 1815, under the command of Captain Charles Wollstonecraft, defended Fort St. Philip against the British Navy after the British Army had been defeated at the Battle of New Orleans earlier that month. In the Army's reorganization of 1821, the company was designated as Company F of the 4th United States Artillery. It retained this designation until 1901.