The Loyal Company has been fighting in battles for more than 200 years. (CBC)

A very old part of the military history of Saint John was on display over the weekend.

The federal government decided to change the name of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment back to its original title, The Loyal Company, a title it carried for almost 200 years.

On Saturday in Saint John there was a ceremony recognizing the company's participation in the War of 1812. The Loyal Company participated in many battles through the years, the War of 1812, the Fenian raids, the Aroostook War and both World Wars.

Lee Windsor is with the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick.

"It was always understood that the Loyal Company name stood for all of that tradition that matters to soldiers," said Lee Windsor of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at UNB.

Formed in 1793,the Loyal Company is the oldest artillery regiment in Canada. But it lost the historic name in 1975 when the federal government unified the armed forces.

This change back is part of Ottawa's plan to rename Canada's military to reflect its connection to the British crown.

"A unit's pride is based on what it has accomplished in the past," said Lieutenant-Colonel Steve Strachan. "So this really allows us to connect back to our very beginnings, when we were here defending the Port of Saint John."

The regiment was also given a flag marking its connection to the War of 1812.