𝙱𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚘𝚗

Bill Williamson was born Marion Williamson between 1869 and 1872. Ashamed of his given name, which he considered embarrassing despite its family significance, he chose to go by “Bill” instead. His early years were difficult: his father, an alcoholic who mixed whiskey with moonshine, slowly lost his mind as a result of his drinking. Fearing that he might share the same fate, Bill grew up with a deep sense of unease about his own future.

From a young age, Bill displayed delinquent behavior. Reform school did little to set him straight, and his criminal record only grew longer. Seeking direction, he eventually enlisted in the U.S. Army and was placed in the 15th Infantry, though he also claimed to have served in the cavalry. During his service, he fought in campaigns against Native Americans, experiences that left him both traumatized and bitter. His military career ended in disgrace when he was dishonorably discharged on December 27, 1892, for deviancy and attempted murder.

After leaving the Army, Bill drifted, living rough along the frontier. He survived by robbing travelers on highways while drinking heavily. In one humiliating encounter, he was even robbed himself by a supposed woman, who was likely a cross-dresser. By 1893, he attempted to rob Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews, only to discover they had already stolen his ammunition. Rather than punishing him, Dutch laughed off the attempt, encouraged him, and offered him a place in the Van der Linde gang. Bill accepted, quickly developing a fierce loyalty to Dutch that never wavered. Still haunted by the horrors of his time in the Army, he carried with him both deep scars and racist prejudices.

Over the next six years, Bill established himself as one of the gang’s gunmen. He rode alongside Dutch, Hosea, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, and others, participating in robberies, raids, kidnappings, and killings across the frontier. At one point, he joined Arthur and Uncle in robbing a bank in Canada, serving as muscle during the job.

By 1899, the gang had shifted eastward into West Elizabeth and set up camp outside Blackwater. Dutch, eager for a big score, set his sights on a heavily laden ferry boat. Bill took part in the robbery, but the plan unraveled into chaos when Pinkerton agents intervened. The disastrous heist forced the gang to abandon Blackwater and flee north into the frozen mountains of Ambarino, where they took shelter in the abandoned mining town of Colter.