– It has come to the attention of the War Department that there is some divergence of understanding in regard to the method of tracing the history of troop units. To settle the practice, the following rule is announced for the guidance of all concerned: The numerical designation of a troop unit does not in itself entitle that unit to inherit the history of any previous unit having that number; the organization itself will be traced through its changes, regardless of number. But in 1923 the War Department issued a new policy that totally reversed the policy of 1920. According to this announcement, not only would the regiments formed in 1815 be allowed to claim campaign credits earned by the earlier units with the same number, but it also asserted that historical continuity between units could be claimed solely on the basis of identical numerical designations. IV. History of certain regiments. – In the application of the principles stated in Section II, Bulletin No. 13, War Department, 1920 (Rules for tracing history of units), the records of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Regiments of Infantry up to and including the reorganization of the Army in 1815 substantially as approved by the Secretary of War, October 30, 1896, and published in the Army Register from 1897 to 1912, will not be disturbed. The history of those seven regiments prior to 1816 will be credited in accordance with similarity of numerical designations, and will not be considered to have passed to another regiment because of the "muster for selection" incident to the reorganization of 1815; however, battle honors that may have been awarded to any one of the first seven regiments of Infantry because of the reorganization in 1815 will not have to be withdrawn. In 1926, the 1923 policy was rescinded, and yet a new revised set of rules for determining both the lineage and the honors for the current 1st-through-7th Infantry Regiments was established. This policy was a compromise, and in common with so many compromises it really isn't logically consistent but has the virtue of satisfying both parties in the dispute. According to this edict, lineages were to be determined strictly according to accepted genealogical principles: lineages would follow organizational changes and redesignations, regardless of numerical designations. But the current 1st through 7th Infantry Regiments would be allowed to claim battle honors earned by the