Grant and Lincoln's invitation

[STS Lincolnite]

So who is actually reporting this to the author of the article? Grant or his unidentified friend? Based on the structure of the article, it sounds to me like the author is relaying the words of the "friend". Not that that necessarily negatively impacts the veracity of the account.

Grant once said to an aide, "Ah, you know my weaknesses, my children and my horses." Is it then safe to say that his family was one of the most important things in his life? Can you than make the conclusion that Grant’s relationship with his wife was a devoted and happy one and that he loved his children?

Julia Grant began her memoirs by dictating to her son Frederick and later to a secretary The memoirs were then edited by John Y Simon. Does that make the memoirs less reliable?

For some reason, you seem to think that I am attacking the credibility of this article/source. That is not at all the case. As I previously stated, the account is corroborated by and matches up with Mrs. Grant's memoirs and that whether the person who is speaking to the reporter is Grant or his "friend" does not necessarily impact its veracity.

The point of my question was that when categorizing sources, I try to be precise about such things. I categorize as primary or secondary sources then subcategorize based on other criteria. It helps me organize, assign hierarchy and defend should it be necessary when writing or speaking.

Your identification of the "unidentified friend" in a later post is very helpful and appreciated.