The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Infantry) Alfred Dickinson Barksdale, United States Army, for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Samogneux, France, 8 October near Molleville, France, 12 October and in the Bois-de-Grand Montague, France, 15 October 1918. Commanding a support company during the attack of 8 October Captain Barksdale discovered that his battalion had advanced ahead of the unit on the right flank, and was suffering heavy losses from machine-gun fire. Without orders he attacked and captured the guns, taking many prisoners. On 12 October he worked for over an hour exposed to a terrific bombardment, binding the wounds of his men. On October 15 he advanced alone into a thick wood and with the aid of his pistol put out of action a destructive machine gun, which was pouring such a deadly fire that his men could not raise their heads.