OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 12 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 February 26, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West by Darlene E. Kelley Major Dion Williams by Byron Williams Tid Bits - part 12. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Major Dion Williams Major Dion Williams, United States Marine Corps, was born in the Williams homestead, at Williamsburg, Ohio, on December 15, 1869. He is the only son of Byron and Katherine Park Williams. He received his earlier education in the public schools of Williamsburg, graduating from the high school in the class of 1886. Appointed a navel cadet on July 16, 1887, he graduated from the United States Navel Academy, on June 1, 1891, and for two years thereafter served as a midshipman on the United States steamer Atlanta, one of the cruisers of the Squadron of Evolution , known throughout the country as the " White Squadron." During this cruise, the Atlanta visited the West Indies and South America, and cruised along the east coast of the United States, touching at most of the important ports between Maine and the straits of Magellan. On July 1, 1893, having passed the final examinations for his class, with a good standing, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States marine corps. The marine corps, which is an integrel part of the navy, is the oldest branch of the government sevice, having been organized at Boston in 1775 pursuant to an act of the First Continental Congress. In every war in which the United States has taken part, the troops of the marine corps have taken part in the first engagement, and so well has the duty been performed that they well won the title of the " Ever Faithful," and the official motto of the corps is " Semper Fidelis." After receiving his first commission Lieutenant Williams was ordered to the Officer's School of Application, Washington, D.C., graduating from that institution in June, 1894, at the head of his class. June 30, 1894, he was promoted to be a first lieutenant, and was ordered to the marine barrack at the Navy yard, New York, where he served as adjutant of that marine battalion. On February 20, 1895, he was married at New London, Conn., to Helen Mar Ames, only daughter of Col Nathaniel H. and Elizabeth McDonald Ames. Colonel Ames was for years the colonel of the Third regiment of the Connecticut National Guard, and a leader among the military men of New England. Mrs William's mother is a member of the noted McDonald and Crawford families of Scotland. In October, 1895, Lieutenant Williams was transferred to the marine barracks at Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco Bay, California, where he served until September, 1897. During this time he studied law with especial reference to military procedure, and was appointed judge advocate of many important navel courts martial. In September, 1897, Lieutenant Williams was ordered to duty on the United States cuiser Baltimore, then flagship of the United States Pacific Squadron. The Baltimore proceeded to Honolulu, Hawaii, then an unstable republic, and remained there through the winter of 1897/98, protecting American interests. When the sinking of the Maine, in Havana harbor, made war with Spain inevitable, all the available navel ammunition on the west coast was rushed to Honolulu and loaded into the Baltimore, and she proceeded with all despatch to Hong Kong, where Commodore Dewey's United States Asiatic Squadron lay anxiously awaiting permission to sail for Manila. The Baltimore arrived just in time to transfer the ammunition to the other ships, don her war paint of sombre grey and sail with the squadron for Manila. In the battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898, Lieutenent Williams, in charge of the forward 8-inch gun of the Baltimore, fired the first shot from that ship, and he was officially commended for his conduct in the battle by Captain N. Mayo Dyer, the intrepid commander of the Baltimore, who himself commanded a small ship on that famous " August day with Farragut " at Mobile Bay. On May 2nd, the Baltimore forced the surrender of the Spanish forts on Corregidor at the entrance of Manila Bay, and on May 3rd under direct orders of Commodore Dewey, Lieutenant Williams, in command of a company of marines and sailors from the Baltimore, landed and took charge of the Spanish Navy Yard and Arsenal at Cavite. This was the first landing of American troops on Spanish soil in the war, and Lieutenant Williams at once disposed his force to establish order and protect the innocent inhabitants, and then raised the Stars and Stripes over the captured arsenal, this being the first American flag raised on Spanish soil in the Spanish-American war. For his energetic and efficient work on this occasion Lieutenant Williams received the official commendation of Admiral Dewey, who since that date has been his highly valued friend. As a result of the Spanish- American war Lieutenant Williams was promoted to a captaincy on March 3, 1899. He served in the Phillipines until May 1, 1900, serving on board the Baltimore, the battleship Oregon, and the flagship Olympia, and also on land with the army. During the Spanish war and the resultant Phillipine insurrection, Captain Williams took part in some thirty engagements in various parts of the islands, and commanded the marines at the capture of Olongapo and at the capture of Vigan, in the latter affair retaking from Aguinaldo's army ninety American and Spanish prisoners. During the latter year of his service in the Phillipines, Captain Williams held, in addition to his regular command, the assistant judge advocate general on the staff of the admiral commanding the fleet. On May 1, 1900, Captain Williams was ordered to duty on the staff of Admiral John C. Watson, and sailed from Yokohama, Japan, on board the United States flagship Baltimore for New York by way of China, the Malay Straits, India, the Suez and Europe, arriving in New York in October, 1900. He was immediately ordered to the Marine Barracks, Boston, Massachusetts, where he served two years, in charge of the United States Navel Prison, as military and technical instructor of a class of second lieutenants newly appointed from civil life, and for half of the time as acting commanding officer of the post. For this duty Captain Williams was twice officially commanded by Major General Charles Heywod, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, in the annual reports of the Navy Department. From September, until December, 1902, Captain Williams commanded Company " A" of the marine battalion, serving in Panama for the protection of the Panama railroad and foreign interests during a serious revolution. During this service Captain Williams was commended in orders by Admiral Casey, commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, by Col. B.R. Russell, commanding the United States forces on the Isthmus, and by United States Consul-General Gudger, the latter commendation being transmitted to Congress by the State Department. >From Panama, Captain Williams was transferred to Culebra, West India Islands, and appointed adjutant of the First provisional regiment of marines engaged in fortifying that island. But this was to be a brief detail, as within two weeks, he was selected to be fleet marine officer of the Atlantic battleship fleet, in command of the battalion of marines attached to the ships of fleet. In this capacity he served until October, 1904, seeing service aboard the battleships Maine and Kearsarge, in the West Indies, South America and Europe. On this cruise he was presented to the late King Carlos of Portugal, and King George of Greece. In January, 1905, Captain Williams was selected as a menber of the staff of instructors of the United States Naval War College, at Newport, R.I., where he delivered lectures on military subjects and prepared important papers for the country's naval war plans. In February, 1905, he was promoted to be a major, and when the revolution of 1906 made American intervention necessary in Cuba, he commanded a battalion of marines, 400 strong, which were among the first landed in Cuba in Septemeber that year. Landing in Havana this battalion crossed Cuba to Cienfuegos and for one month kept peace and order in that important city. In October,1906, General Franklin Bell, then chief of staff of the United States Army, detailed Major Williams to the staff of the Army of Cuban Pacification, and by orders of President Roosevelt he was temporarily transferred from the marine corps to duty with the Army. For nearly a year Major Williams was first assistant to the chief engineer of the Army of Cuban Pacificatio, his princpal duties being in charge of the field work of the military map of Cuba, which was carried rapidly to a successful completion. For this work he recieved the official commendation of Major General Franklin Bell, Major General G.F. Elliot, then commandant of the marine corps, and Colonel Langfitt, the chief engineer of the Army of Cuban Pacification. Major Williams was selected by the late Admiral Robaly D. Evans, to be fleet marine officer of the Atlantic battle fleet for the famous cruise around the world in 1907/08/09, and in December, 1907, he joined the flagship Connecticut. All through the cruise of the battle fleet, majot Williams commanded the marine regiment of the fleet 1,300 strong, which paraded on shore at San Diego and San Francisco, Cal.; Seattle and Bellingham, Washington State; Sydney, Melbourne and Albany, Australia; and at the Hudson-Fulton celebration in New York in 1909, and on many occasions for drill. he was commended by Admiral R.D. Evans in an official letter to the Navy Department, for his efficient performance of duty during the cruise of the fleet from Hampton Roads, Va., to Sn Francisco, Cal., and also by Admiral Sperry, who commanded the cruise of the fleet from San Francisco, via the Suez to New York. Major Williams was also chief intelligence officer of the fleet, and in October, 1909, was detailed to duty in the office of Naval intelligence of the Navy Department, at Washington, D.C., where he remained until March 15, 1913, when he was ordered to Peking, China, as commandant of the American Legation Guard, which consists of 350 men, comprising infantry and artillery and a mounted section, and is a very important foregn post of our armed forces. Major Williams has devoted considerable attention to literary pursuits, and like his father, has written several books on subjects pertaining to the Navel profession, among them being " Naval Reconnaissance," a manuel of instruction for the reconnaissance and survey of harbors and surrounding country: " The Port Directory." containing valuable information concerning all principal ports of the world; " The Uniform Regulations, United States Marine Corps," and many articles for the press, the magazines, and the service journals. In the cruise of the battle fleet around the world, by special authority of the Secretary of the Navy, he acted as special correspondant for the " New York Times" and the " London Daily Mail." He certainly was Byron Williams' son. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits to be continued in part 13.