Dear Bernard

Thank you for your email. I hope you do not mind but could not resist a good debate so thought I would say I agree with you partially. Yes, Wellington was against an offensive war which would be pointless with the Plattsburgh campaign being the most obvious example, but in this and other letters he does talk approvingly off a Defensive war and uses language of saying how “the Americans arrogance was given a check” etc. Besides which we did not need him as we the British were succesful. All American invasion attempts of Canada were beaten and at the end of the war not 1 of their single war aims was met and their country was going bankrupt. I am still not sure how it can be seen as the 2nd war of independence.

Thank you again

Yours sincerely

Geriant