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e previous experience of this o cer is Captain Williams, shouting "Follow me!"
su ciently unusual to deserve mention. ran back on to the Hill, his leading gun
For several years he was a Deputy Sheri in close behind him. is gun opened re
both Wyoming and Montana, and during on the German line, which was then
that time had won some twenty individual advancing at close range. e other guns
gun ghts against cattle outlaws. He once almost immediately joined. In the ght
won the bronco riding championship at which followed the entire German party
the big Cheyenne Open tournament. Later were killed, wounded or driven from the
he had joined. Bu alo Bill's "Wild West" Hill, and about half of our company were
show where he gave exhibitions in riding casualties.
untamed horses and was pronounced by A column of several hundred of the
Colonel Cody, the greatest bronco breaker enemy was observed In the vicinity of the
the Colonel had ever seen. railroad yards just west of Hill 182. Our
Captain Williams walked through machine gunners turned their attention to
the eastern part of St. Juvin and saw no Figure 2. Capt. F. M. Williams this force and scattered it with heavy losses.
American or German Troops. On the eastern slope of is German attack was part of the assault made against
the Hill, near the north edge of the town, he found our entire front and to which reference has already
a lieutenant with a platoon from the 77th Division been made. e Lieutenant and the platoon of the 77th
occupying a piece of trench. e Lieutenant informed Division met by Captain Williams on the east slope of
him that the platoon had become separated from Hill 182 were not present during this ght. When the
the 77th Division and did not know where they were enemy counterattacked, the Lieutenant retired with
now located. He had, therefore, placed himself on the his platoon and passed through Captain Williams'
anks of the 326th Infantry. He arrived there during company as it came up the east side of St. Juvin. By
the night and had no information about the enemy. noon on October 15, when activities had ceased in the
Captain Williams advised him to send a runner to vicinity of Hill 182, Captain Williams personally went
nd his battalion commander. back through the town until he reached the St. Juvin-
Captain Williams then strolled on to the top of Hill Grand-Pre Road in the vicinity of which he found a
182. e mist was so heavy that he found it impossible Captain from the 77th Division who stated that he
to see more than approximately a hundred yards to was in command of the right battalion of the 77th
the front. Shortly a er his arrival, a heavy barrage fell Division. Captain Williams reported to this o cer
on the Hill during which he took shelter at the north and stated that his own company was within this
edge of the town where he found men of Lieutenant o cer's sector and badly in need of reinforcements
Benjamin's platoon. e Lieutenant had le the Hill on Hill 182, where it had without assistance beaten
a few moments previously for a conference with his o a very strong counterattack. Captain Williams
Battalion Commander. When the barrage li ed, also asked the Battalion Commander if he had any
Captain Williams walked back on to the crest of the instructions to give him. Captain Williams was
Hill. Here he observed a group of ve German soldiers informed that the Battalion Commander could not
walking toward him at a hundred yards' distance with make any dispositions until he had reported the
an American prisoner. Captain Williams walked over situation to higher authority.
to the group empty-handed and, when within a few Captain Williams returned to his company and
yards, made a lightning reach for the pistol on his belt remained alone on Hill 182 throughout the a ernoon
and in the ght that followed killed four Germans and night until 2 hours on the morning of October 16.
and took the h prisoner. As the h German At this time about two platoons from the 77th Division
raised his arm in surrender, Captain Williams caught came to the Hill and dug in near the line occupied by
sight of a long enemy skirmish line coming over the the men from the 82nd Division. Two hours later these
northern end of the plateau attacking directly toward platoons of the 77th Division were relieved by units
St. Juvin. e enemy numbered roundly about 200 from the 78th Division."
men. Using a dead German's ri e, Captain Williams
shot one of the enemy who marched a few paces in Frank Williams was awarded the Purple Heart, and
advance of the attacking skirmish line. e German Gen. John J. Pershing personally presented him with
line took cover, and Captain Williams jumped down the Distinguished Service Cross in 1918. e Italian
the bank on to the sunken road near the cemetery on government awarded him the War Cross for Merit.
the western slope of the Hill and ran back under cover
toward St. Juvin. He crossed through the northern e Citation for the Distinguished Service Cross
part of the town to the eastern slope, where he met awarded to Frank M. Williams reads:
his machine -gun company at the bottom of the Hill.