[3] As tensions with the United Kingdom increased in 1807, these four companies, with other volunteers, were temporarily organized as a regiment, commanded by Col. Peter Curtenius, and remained thus detached until 20 April 1809[citation needed].

The regiment was frequently ordered to hold itself ready for service, and did active service for the United States, the state and New York City, as follows: After organizing and brief training, the regiment, commanded by Colonel Marshall Lefferts, left New York City for Washington, D.C., on special call of President Abraham Lincoln on April 19, 1861, arriving in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, and opening communications with Washington April 24–25.

It served most of this time at Baltimore, Md., and was mustered out of the United States service, 5 September 1862, at New York City.

16 June 1863, it again re-entered the United States service, and was mustered in at New York City, for thirty days.

After occupation of Arlington Heights, Virginia, May 24–26, it assisted in building Fort Runyon and was mustered out at New York City on June 3, 1861.

It left New York City for Baltimore, Maryland, on May 26, and then was attached to Dix's Command, Middle Department, to July 1862.

In 1879, it was moved uptown to the newly built Seventh Regiment Armory on Park Avenue.

Also a member as a private during the spring 1861 deployment to Washington was Robert Gould Shaw, later commander of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

It was the only exclusively regimental band of the Civil War–era and one of the most popular brass bands of the time; its first bandmaster Joseph Noll - then a prominent violinist in New York musical life, being a member (as well as soloist and occasional concertmaster) of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and later a conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic - used brass and reed instruments in equal proportion.

[9] Grafulla was succeeded as bandmaster by his principal trombonist Carlo Alberto Cappa (1834-1893), and famed cornetist Walter B. Rogers then conducted the band from 1893 to 1898.

The band was honored in 1922 by John Philip Sousa's The Gallant Seventh march, written while Lieutenant Francis Sutherland was bandmaster.

On 18 April 1923, Sousa conducted the band in playing The Star-Spangled Banner at the opening of Yankee Stadium.

On 6 March 1919, the regiment arrived back in New York City onboard the USS Leviathan and demobilized on 2 April 1919 at Camp Upton.