Now here's something distinctly Stoney Creekish...

This book came out a couple of years ago. I read it and reviewed it at the time. 

In it, the author takes issue with 'the legend of Billy Green'. In fact, on December 12th of 2009, The Spec published an article on the book and this controversy, 'Is the Billy Green story balderdash?', which can be found here.

Recently, the Stoney Creek Historical Society published a 'rebuttal' entitled 'Billy Green and Balderdash'. Researched and written by David B. Clark, Douglas A. Green and Mary Lubell, it provides counter-arguments against Mr. Elliott's stance on this local hero's legitimacy. On June 3rd, The Spec published the article 'The battle over war hero Billy Green'.

Here's an excerpt: 

"A foreword from the board of directors of the Stoney Creek Historical Society says the booklet is an effort to “clarify the facts surrounding the exploits of Billy Green and what has traditionally been believed concerning his contribution to the British triumph at the Battle of Stoney Creek ... and to respond appropriately to recent attempts to downgrade his importance.”

I've read the booklet and am impressed with the amount of effort that was clearly applied, as well as the clarity of information achieved by the writing. 

I'm looking forward to seeing how this 'dialogue' unfolds, how Mr. Elliott responds...and as the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Stoney Creek approaches, how Billy Green's legend holds up. 

(As an aside, there's a valid discussion to be had regarding the very definition of the concept 'hero'. But this post is neither the time nor the place for that indulgence.)