BILLINGS, H.M. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

To the Veterans of Montgomery County: There lies dead in Veedersburg tonight a former resident of this city, as brave a man as ever wore the blue - Capt H.M. Billings, who was so seriously wounded on the battle line for the maintenance of our country undivided and our flag unsullied, was so severely wounded that he has been unable wholly to care for himself. Capt. Billings was one of God's own noblemen, true to his country, his family, and his friends, honored, beloved and respected by all who knew him. Some 20 years ago he married as loyal, true and patriotic a little woman as ever lived. Faithfully, untiringly, lovingly, she has cared for the crippled old veteran as she would have cared for a sick and disabled child, as well as to rear and guide the pathway of a beautiful daughter to the threshold of womanhood. When they shall turn from the silent city of the dead and bid farewell to their loved one, their protector, husband and father, they turn to face the cold charities of a cruel world, forever, unjustly, cruelly, debarred from the little pittance this great government which he so earnestly strove to maintain, doles out to other - may less deserving - soldiers' widows, by that unjust monstrosity, the soldier's widows' pension bill, simply because she married him since June 27, 1890. The Hon. Martin A. Morrison - honest, honorable gentleman that he is - went to Congress as representative of this district, bound by his pledge of honor in white and black over his own signature that he would do all within his power to correct this outrage. Has he done it? No. Has his voice ever been lifted in the Hall? No.